The Tripod

Issue date: 9/30/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: www.theclaypen.com The Claypen has a variety of pottery. [Click to enlarge]

Rainy Saturday? Not a lot to do? Looking to do something more fulfilling than sitting in your room, watching a movie, and ordering Choice One? Looking for something that is equally relaxing, perhaps more? Two of my friends and I had such desires this past Saturday, and one of them had the idea to paint pottery. She had seen such a place, called The Claypen, on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford, Conn., and so we piled into her car for the short 5-mile drive.

Upon arrival, each of us picked out the pre-made piece of pottery we were going to paint. The Claypen has a wide selection of such objects in all shapes and sizes, from large platters to small skulls and other figurines. I picked a goblet, one of my friends picked a cupcake box, and the other chose a soap dish. We spent the next couple of hours meticulously painting our pieces with glaze (one of us took significantly longer than the rest).

While this afternoon was decidedly "third grade," the range in age of the people painting was surprising. There was another group of college-aged people, some families, and a couple of middle-aged and older people. The finished pieces were also indicative of the age of its artist. Some were beautiful and intricate, and some were pretty sloppy.

Though one of my friends had received top marks in ceramics at her high school, none of us had legitimate experience in this field. This did not stop any of us from exhibiting bold creativity in our pottery.

Though I am not a huge fan of the recent popularity of arts and crafts (they've always kind of screamed, "granola girl power" to me) it was a relaxing experience. Recounting the events of a busy Friday night with friends over coffee on a rainy day, we realized that getting in touch with our earthy sides was, surprisingly, a decent way to spend our time. It was not too expensive: my pottery piece was $12, and studio fees added up to $8.

After completing the paint job, one gives his or her piece back to the people working at The Claypen. They then put it through a week-long process of firing in the kiln. It is available for pick-up a week later.

We've yet to pick up our pottery, and I don't really care how it turns out. What was good was to spend some time with some friends, get off campus, and get my hands dirty. (In a very safe way.)

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