2020-02-10 - Pretty Pottery

The art gallery has seemed to change in preparation for the class. While the lovely pieces of art still hang on the wall, tables have been moved to the side, some of them taken out completely to make space for pottery night. Fortunately, most of the area is at least somewhat setup for it. There was always the kiln in a certain section of the large room, but this time there are two. The devices have been upgraded to avoid the gas operated ones, likely for safety reasons. If curious, the two gray objects stand at about three feet tall, are cylindrical shaped, and have a type of LED keypad where the user can put in temperature settings as well as note how long certain objects can bake or glaze.

A fair distance away from the kilns are pottery wheels atop of small tables. For the sake of the class, about six of them have been set out. Also, wine glasses are on the far right corner of each table in case some gentle libations are called for. On the left side of the tables are various tools that would allow potters to test their creative skills. Wire end tools of sorts would allow artists to input their own designs and marks while awls would allow them to chisel in names so they can trademark their creations. There are also medium sized containers of water and small towels. Yes, things can get messy and they probably will.

The medium itself is set in the middle of the pottery wheel. Should the user get curious, a pedal under each table would easily control the speed of the wheel itself. For now, the circular discs are not in motion and the six by six inch lumps of clay sit stagnant, ready for the creators to shape them into an object or each individual’s. There is no odor to each substance, and it may even feel a bit cold to the touch, but nothing abnormal. All in all, things seem ready for the class to take place.

Queso, is no where to be seen for now. His easels holding up paintings are removed to make room for the pottery party, so he might be off sulking in protest. Hans dutifully watches people come in and get settled, while Hera isn’t wearing her normal nice dresses. She dons a pair of jeans and a short sleeved shirt. While the outfit is a nicely pressed combo, it’s certainly nothing that needs to be dry cleaned. On her feet are sandals showing painted toes, but her fingernails are nothing elaborate at the moment. When teaching pottery, short nails are a must! (https://celebfeetpics.com/images/Jaime-Ray-Newmans-Feet-2559ae4fe8fb541481.md.jpg)

Kim comes into the gallery, dressed in a more worn version of her normal street wear. Things are going to get messy after all and she is pretty sure she'll be getting clay on them. Looking over the set up for the class she gives approving nod. Not that she really knows what it should like and there are the wine glasses as well. Giving Hera a wave before heading over to her, taking her phone out and taping out a quick message.

Tara arrives wearing a drab green jacket over a yellow t-shirt and paint stained forest green cargo pants. Her blonde hair is hanging shaggy from a skullcap, but as usual she's wearing a bright grin as she enters the Vivid dream. Meandering quietly with her hands in her pockets through the gallery towards where she was told the class would be taking place, she certainly came dressed for the occation!

Hera looks down to her cellphone as it buzzes a bit. When she sees the message she giggles and smiles widely. Then she texts off a return message and looks over at the newcomers. "Welcome!" she exclaims, "I'm so glad you made it, very glad! Please please come in, take a stool in front of the pottery wheel. Make yourselves comfortable. You both are dressed great for it. I certainly wouldn't recommend wearing your Sunday's best to play around here." Of course, the question of the night is, "Would you like some wine?"

Kim gives a wave when Tara comes in "Hi Tara!" a buzz at her phone she reads it. Giggling with a touch of red coming to her cheek. Not replying as she really doesn't want to interrupt Hera's class. At the invitation to sit she goes to take a unclaimed stool "Thank you. I did think that I shouldn't dress up, I mean wearing one of my outfits to the class seemed like a bad idea. Oh wine, sure I'd love some."

"Hello Kim." Tara replies with a wide grin, shifting gears a little towards Hera, "No, thank you, I try not to drink while I'm doing art. I feel like it muddies the waters of creativity and creates something wholly different..." She settles onto a stool at one of the stations and looks over the clay medium.

Hera goes over to get a bottle of wine for Kim. Heading over to her table, she pours a glass for her and offers to Tara, "Did you bring any samples of your work for us to take a look at? I'd love to see what you have. Also, I have water and coffee, and maybe a few sodas to choose from, being a special occassion and all."

But finally, here's Queso! Yes the gallery cat comes purring into the room. Maybe he's gotten over his 'issue' of not finding the easels? It may be hard to tell but either way he licks his paw and looks over at Kim and Tara curiously.

Kim was going to ask about Tara's art, but Hera beat her to it. "It would be delightful to see." she comments. "Thank you Hera." she says after the wine is poured. Raising it to her lips to take a sip. At the sight of the kitty she lowers her hand in a open palm. A invitation for him to come over if he is in the mood for a pet or two.

"I.. oh gosh I completely forgot!" Tara frowns, but the expression just looks all wrong on her face, "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry.. I really meant to grab one of the smaller portraits, but.. Wait yes!" She fishes around in her pocket and produces a little black flip-phone. "I took a picture of something I did over at the basketball courts.. actually someone sent it to me, but.." She goes to the photos and brings up the image, which is obviously poor quality, of a chalk drawing on a basketball blacktop. Large sweeping archs of color, soft angles and flowing lines. There's no real design to it, but a common theme are shadowy shapes that bleed through the color in dark gray chalk. Like something standing in the background of a rainbow devouring color. "It's really hard to see, I know.. I promise I'll bring something better next time I'm in town?"

Hera feels her phone buzz and she goes off to send a return text. Fortunately, she manages to pay her phone bill. A wide smile is seen and she grins, "It's Jessica." she says, the wine forgotten for now but she doesn't stay distracted for too long. "Oh definitely." she tells Tara, "I really want to see your work. I've been quite excited to meet a new artist to tell the truth. It's a bit of a pity that I had to put all the paintings up but they will be back on display soon."

Queso recognizes Kim, so he has to go over and mark his territory it seems. When she opens up her palm he goes over and rubs against her hand, claiming the Asian woman as 'his' before she can work.

Kim sets her wine down and goes over to take a look at the image on the phone, after giving a few light pets to Queso. "I really like it. Easy to see the beauty in it and I bet it did inspire others. Really it looks lovely. One question though the darker shadow like they are trying to eat the colors, what was your thought process on those? It's nice I mean and adds a extra sort of edge to it." she asks interested in the fellow painter's inspiration. Tilting her head up to look towards Hera and giving her smile "No need to ask where your inspiration is coming from these days."

Tara closes her phone after both have had a chance to look at the poor quality image, "They are the ever present shadows.." She says with brown eyes glancing between Kim and Hera, "Them." Nodding towards one of the corners of the gallery, "They're always there.. but I don't see why things can't still be colorful around them." Her smile barely even faulters, hardly even shifts. "In my mind they exist ''in'' color too." She slips down off the stool to kneel down for Queso, "Heeey Queso! Come'ere boy.." Smiling big, and stupidly at the pupper. Down onto one knee so she can get all proper into the petting she, hopefully, is about to provide.

Hera continues to smile until the conversation shifts to something dark. She bites her bottom lip for a moment but she doesn't inquire. "Inspiration, takes all sorts of shapes." She says. As far as the pets, Queso doesn't move, he's a cat, he's not in the mood. Hans takes pity on her though and he pads over. Wagging his tail, the obedient dog nuzzles the blonde, hopefully getting her attention. After all, Tara is a dog person for sure!

Kim's smile turns into a bit of frown as Tara goes into the meaning "Them huh?" nervously looking to the corners just in case. Nothing there that she can perceive, save normal shadows "I can see your perspective on it. Certainly color can't exist or at least can't be as appreciated without the shadows. There is no reason that can't co-exist." she offers to Tara before moving back to her seat and taking a more much larger sip of wine.

Tara is /definitely/ a dog person. So she focuses her attention the dog, which is what she thought she was doing, but failed. Clearly a judgement error. Cats are evil. "Helloooo Hans.." Rubbing her hands all over his doggo face, eyes flicking up at Kim, "It has to co-exist." She says with a big grin, "Which is kind of the inspiration for the work.. and it drew someones attention for sure. A photographer named Rose came by to snap some pictures. I kind of hoped she'd be here, just because I think she would really love this place." Returning attention back to Hans, teeth clinched playfully, "Who's a good boy? Yus yus you are."

Hera doesn't quite know where the conversation is going but she watches the two chit chat for a moment until adding, "There are things, we should be careful of." Maybe a bit of a loaded statement so she just lets that hang for a bit.

And it's clearly time for animal intervention. Pets always change the subject of the conversation. Queso gives a meow and goes to jump RIGHT on top of Kim's lump of clay. Hera groans as she sees the kitty make the class a bit more unusual than it should be. "He likes to spin around on the wheels sometime." she says, "Cats, can kind of be crazy and he is one of those types." But Hans, he is definitely a good boy and he's not causing trouble. You won't see him jumping up on pottery wheels without permission. He just wags his tail as Tara pets and loves on him. The guard dog is sometimes underappreciated.

Kim ohs "So all of your art involves the shadows in some way? I have used the shadow motif myself, for a different reason. For me it was more to show something was missing." at the mention of drawing someone's attention yep time for more wine. If Hera left the bottle anywhere near she's going to pour some more into her glass. "If you don't mind me asking Tara when did you start painting? I am sure Rose would it's really almost homey feeling while getting to look at art." She nods to Hera's comment "Some shadows have teeth and like to bite." the serious mood can't last at the Queso's leap. Giving a small giggle she gentle tries to pick him up and place him back on the ground "No neko. You'll get it on your paws and then be trying to get it off for like ever." looking back to Hera "He's no crazier than some of mine were. He's just so cute. If he isn't careful I'll put a bow and bell on him. So you'll know when to expect his cuteness."

"I don't think anything is missing in the shadows." Tara says curiously, still rubbing Hans ears around in both hands with her nails scratching at all the doggy spots. She looks up with a big grin, "It just obscures what's there. The absence of light or the presence of dark?" She shrugs slightly and finally pushes up from her knee with a hand patting the puppers head, "I'll be back, good boi.." To retake her stool, grinning at the cat spinning on the wheel.. "Oh.. hrm.. well I've always loved painting, really, but my father said there was no time for it. I retook it about... six months ago? Give or take." Hand wobbling, "But I feel like we're boring our hostess! This is all very lovely, Hera."

Hera shakes her head and says, "No, you're not boring me at all. Forgive me if I seem a bit unfocused." While Tara doesn't really know her, she speaks about one of the things on her mind that makes her smile, "Jessica sent me a message and asked if I had plans on Valentine's Day. I'm really glad she remembered. I think I might take a big plunge and tell her more about how I really feel. I won't push anything serious but when we were over at Stephanie's, I felt I had to control myself from telling her, something special." The woman is glowing for multiple reasons, even Queso's antics couldn't annoy her that badly. The cat does protest though. He doesn't get out his claws but he clearly wanted to STAY on top of the wheel. "So, should we start?"

Kim considers Tara's point. "I can your point. And maybe that's how I really intended it, now that you mentioned it. Things you don't even think of in the moment." she says thoughtfully. Gives her something new to think about at least. "For taking it up again so recently I have to say your work is very good. I think so at least." while she has more questions it is Hera's class after all. Turning her head over to Hera with a warm smile "I doubt she could forget. I'd offer a double date...but since you are thinking about having that talk best to be alone. Though if you want support and just signal when you are ready. Still that is great and I hope you do Hera. "Yes starting would be great. I can't wait to get clay all over me." she jokes.

Tara smiles between Hera and Kim, hands down on the edge of the stool she's sitting on, "That's wonderful!" She says brightly to the former, "I can't say for sure, not really knowing her, but I have to hope that she'll appreciate it... I'm a hopeless romantic though." She teases with a big grin that sparkles in her eyes. "Thank you, Kim.. I really wish I'd brought something to hang up in the gallery, but... It's been rather busy day." Truly, she has small cuts and bruises on her cheeks, including a few stitches just beneath her left eye. Which should have been mentioned a while ago.

Hera looks over at Tara in concern when she sees the cuts and bruises. She doesn't ask though, at least not yet. "There's time for that." she says, "Definitely time. I have to admit I'm a little excited to see your work. I guess I was always a romantic but, never really had hopes in that department, until now. I was happy just to have my place and my work. So many good things have happened for me in Gray Harbor, quite a unique town. Ok!" she says as she notes that the time is right for 'clay class.' "The first thing you need to do is take your lump there, check it for cat hair now." Thank you Queso, "And knead it just like you would dough. We just want to make sure there's no air pockets and all."

"I am sure you will sometime. I can give you hand if you'd like with transporting them. I should give you my number after class." Kim offers with a friendly smile on her lips. Her eye's do go the cuts and bruises "Did something happen? Ah you don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Turning attention back to Hera happy for her and her good luck, finally, in the romance department. But right time for class. Kim does pick out a few cat hairs, the rest well they will just add character. Following Hera's directions she starts kneading the clay.

Tara touches the scrapes on her face and shakes her head reassuringly to both, smiling all the while. "No it was nothing. Just some thornes tried to eat me... but I think they were terribly hungry anyways. I feel bad that I wasn't able to feed them." Pause... blinking, "Not me of course!" Said with a laugh, rolling her eyes and rubbing the back of her neck, "It was nothing, just a bad dream." Though she does bob her head to Kim, "Absolutely, remind me after class and I'll give you my number." Smiling to the Asian woman and turning her attention up to Hera. She regards first her, then the lump, and sets it out on the wheel to check for cat hair, snickering quietly as she picks a few off and rolls them into a small ball between her fingers to slip into her pocket. "Queso clearly likes the clay."

Hera sits down to knead her own piece of clay but at the mention of Tara getting hurt she frowns. "Sounds like a little more than thorns." She says, "Your dog, is he pretty good at guarding you? This city is a safe one and all, it really is, but please make sure you are careful. Kim and Leon are updating my security system and Hans would bite the crap out of someone who tried to hurt me. Still, all artists should look out for each other, don't forget that."

Kim listens to what Tara says with interest she'll have more to talk to her about after class then just a exchange of numbers. "Absolutely, probably after we wash the clay off of our hands huh?" still smiling and giving a tiny laugh. More of the thought of clay on her phone screen. She does keep kneading her clay as she listens to Hera.

"Oscar.. oh he doesn't belong to me any more" Tara says absently, picking a few more pieces of fur from the clay, "Well, I say ''belongs''.. I don't think he belongs to anyone, but he was never my dog. I was just bringing him here for someone I hadn't met yet." Smiling brightly up over the clay at Kim and Hera, "And I finally met them... so now they have Oscar. You should have seen the reunion.. technically they'd just met." Her mouth quirks to the side, thinking about that, "But it was still a reunion... their souls were meshed. It was adorable."

Hera finds herself being part instructor, and part new friend to Tara as the conversation gets interesting. "Well that's, unique. I have to admit you have me curious." She then switches gears to go back into instructor mode. "Ok, if you see beneath your table, there's a pedal there. If you feel you have kneaded your clay enough, you can start to mold it into something. You really need to wet your hands to work with it." She does as such, putting her hands into the water. "The best technique is to try to move it up, then when you have it into a skinnier shape, put your fingers in the middle. Just watch it take shape and you can start to see how you can easily do a cup or a bowl."

Kim casts a sidelong over to Tara "So Oscar was just traveling with you for a time? At least you were able to take him where he wanted to be." her lip curling up to a smile again "Sounds like a wonderful sight. Two souls meshed and meeting for the first time physically." definitely a odd story but a nice one nonetheless. At Hera's instruction she does glance under the table. Dipping her hands in water and applying some water pressure to the pedal. She starts to slowly mold the clay, splitting her attention between the lesson and actually doing working the clay.

Tara is an odd woman.

She smiles over the lump of clay she's not even began kneeding, maticulously combing over it looking for hairs as if that is singularly the purpose of this class. That transitioned into her drawing her nail down through the clay to create lines and symbols.. that transitioned into her molding it without the wheel, folding the clay with rough motions of her thumbs. Her arm comes up to rub against her cheek a few times, then against her ear as if to get at a scratch, but she is most certainly not going to be creating a pot or bowl... at least not the way she's doing it anyways. "It was pretty incredible." Said to Kim, glancing up from what she's doing: Pinching off pieces of clay to set down on the wheel while continuing to move bits with her fingers. It is not really taking a meaningful shape at all.

"What are you curious about, Hera?" Glancing up.

Hera continues to work on her pottery piece, putting in designs and such. "Well, I love animals, I really do, but many people do not think that they have souls. To say that the souls are reunited well, that's a bit unique." But the new artist is a busy sort, so she goes to get her phone. "Yikes uhm, make sure you don't have clay all over your smartphone, there's towels and what not." She knows those gadgets do not come cheap but when she sees that Tara is able to keep things under control, she looks back over to Kim and asks, "What do you think about that? Do animals have souls?"

Kim let's her mind wander as she works her piece. Not taking any shape but rounding it pinching her fingers in middle as she thinks about someone. All oddness aside she does have her mind mostly on one particular person, new love is like that. Shaking her head as she focuses back on what she is doing as well as conversation. Oh no her piece looks a bit like...okay putting her thumb in the middle to start to focus into the clay a bowl shape with color going to her cheeks. Glancing over to Hera "Huh? Right, right. I mean it's interesting story and I do think animals have souls. With their personalities it's impossible ,for me at least, to not believe they do. We are only animals after all and we have souls. Do you not look at it that way Hera?"

Hera blushes a little as she admits something, "I'm, not really sure what my religion is. If I had a reason to believe in God now would be that reason, with everything that has changed in my life. I do understand instinct. The drive for survival is very strong, the drive to reproduce well, that can be an evil thing, but it's there, the drive to eat and drink and have shelter, are such drives bound in the soul?" She chuckles and comments, "Freud would have a field day with this, yes?"

Kim does take a little break and takes her foot off of the petal as she directs her full attention to her friend "There really isn't anything to ashamed of in not being sure. For myself I find some truths in a lot of different religions. Just piecing my own truth together and that's true now more than ever. Maybe for you it's the same or could be? What I mean by soul isn't exactly a 'soul' in a religious sense. More of what makes a person or animal them. We all have the same drives, but are aren't all the same are we? It's that inner whatever, spark I guess that make us who we are. Are those drives bound in a soul, maybe." she giggles a little at Hera's last comment "Couldn't say for sure. All I know about Freud are couches and talking about mothers."

Hera shrugs as she reaches for an awl and begins to work on decorating her piece. "True, quite true." She says, "Maybe something to contemplate." With a bit of a yawn she puts the awl down, "Wow, I think these busy days might be catching up with me."

Kim smiles at Hera "Happy to keep the wheel of thought turning." Noting the yawn "We can pick this up another time. I'll get washed up and help clean so you can get rest." getting up so she can do just that.

Hera stands up and heaves a sigh of relief, "Thank you my friend, that's another one that I owe you. Hans, come on buddy let's head into the apartment so we can get some sleep."