1st Team to Sancti Spiritus!

Message of the Day—“Instructions for living life.  Pay attention, be astonished, tell about it”  Mary Oliver.

The Pottery Factory;

The Pottery Factory supports the local Mission and is absolutely a feast for the eyes…well used cans holding a variety of glazes, the walk-in kilns, and floors filled with every size, color, and shape of pottery.  Some are used as beautiful receptacles for trash.

 Walk in Kiln.

They dig their own clay and a man processes it by a simple machine that appears to grind it up.  Another man works the clay to remove the air bubbles.  Another sits high off the ground and turns the wheel to make the huge pots.

 Time for Work.

After being clothed in a large swatch of heavy packing paper, I sanded large, round flower pots in preparation for glazing.  After the department head approved the smoothness, I applied a creamy white glaze.  Marlene and Connie worked in another area and painted different ornamental garden accessories. They used oil based paint in shades of brown and salmon.

Their work was scrutinized by men they affectionately referred to as “Professors”.  Yet in another area, Mel was in her glory adding clay details and texture to rectangular pots made by an accomplished potter using the slab method.

We had many visitors, including Fernando, the son of the artist who teaches the others how to do the decorative painting on the pots  He is studying to be an Attorney, and practices his English skills by chatting with us.

The 52 year old artist and I tried to communicate.  We succeeded in telling each other our age.  When I showed him my age by raising my fingers multiple times, he did not look at me in disbelief.  He merely nodded.

 Ready to Begin.      

 Urns After Firing.

Mary Sue.