Date: Fri 28-Nov-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

Kopyscinski-potter-schools

Full Text:

First Graders Try Their Hands As Potters

(with cuts)

First grade students in Helen Miller's class at Middle Gate School tried their

hand at pottery, under the expert guidance of potter Don Kopyscinski.

Mr Kopyscinski's son David was among the enthusiastic novice potters in the

art room.

Of all the volunteering that Mr Kopyscinski has done for the school, from

chaperoning field trips to assisting in the science and reading rooms, he says

teaching pottery is the most meaningful for him.

Pottery is his livelihood. Mr Kopyscinski decided 20 years ago to give up

managing restaurants and become a full-time potter, turning his favorite hobby

into a full-time job (Bear Hills Pottery).

Mr Kopyscinski gave a demonstration on using the pottery wheel, and the

children enthusiastically followed his examples and directions.

While turning pot after pot on the wheel, Mr Kopyscinski explained the process

of current day pottery making, and how it was done in colonial times.

"In colonial times, during the growing season, farmers would look around for

clay in the soil. When they found some, they would bring it home, and save it

until the winter when there was more time. Then they would turn pots on

home-made pottery wheels."

Mr Kopyscinski went on to explain that the pottery wheels looked very much

like the one he was working on, but instead of electricity, they were powered

by the potter's own feet pumping a treadle.

In colonial times, just as in today's world, there were some artisans who made

pottery for a living.

He gave the children each a wedge of clay so they could try their hands as

potters.

Mr Kopyscinski guided the children's work and said afterwards that "the kids

did a beautiful job!"

"The process is pretty much unchanged in the last thousand years," said Mr

Kopyscinski, as he wrapped up the children's pots to take home to fire in his

kiln. "Except," he mentioned, "they used to use wood to fire the pots in the

kiln."