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Pottery catching fire By Raquel Pinder ~ Guardian Intern: The art of molding and creating oftentimes ends in a masterpiece — if only in the eye of the person that created it. To stand back and witness a lump of clay transformed into something beautiful and functional and to know that you created it with your own hands, gives one a sense of personal accomplishment. This art form known as pottery is "catching fire" in The Bahamas, courtesy of Sue Bennett-Williams who has been shaping pottery since her college days in the early 1970s and some 40 years later she is still a lover of the art. Since her early "dabbling" days, she has become more intricately involved in the craft, and now offers pottery classes for beginners, intermediate and the advanced potter at her home studio. The response to her class she says has been well-supported, but there have been reports that it's almost next to impossible to get into one of her classes because they are that sought after. Alfred Williams Jr., an art major at COB enrolled in Bennett-Williams' pottery class, and says he has found a new love. "It's more hands-on and one becomes physically and emotionally involved in the creation of the art piece" he says. Williams who is known in the Junkanoo world for his carving says taking the pottery class helped him to sharpen and enhance his crafting skills. His technique of choice is hand-building which he says allows for more creativity, whereas wheel throwing, he says is very restricted. A number of the persons who have taken Bennett-Williams' pottery class have had their works featured in art shows around town. She too has been highlighted in the National Art Gallery's Exhibition for the past four years. Williams had a pottery piece featured in the National Art Gallery's Annual Art Exhibition, with his entry of a bust of himself actually being sold. He has also been featured in the Colors of Harmony Art Exhibition, which is a collaboration of COB's art department, inclusive of theater and dance. Whether you are retired, artistically inclined, or need something to pass the time, perhaps a course in pottery is just the thing you need to rekindle your passion and unleash your creative side. It could provide just that extra boost you need to make you feel alive again. Williams offers a leisure class which runs for a 12-week period on Tuesday's from 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at a cost of $425. The fee includes the firing charge, glazing fee and a bag of clay. Before beginners are thrust into anything technical, there are five projects they must complete, which of course includes teaching how to handle clay. After the introduction, students are allowed to follow their passion — whether it is simply hand building or the more advanced practice of wheel throwing. Bennett-Williams says after students complete this aspect of the class, she says she's merely a guide, and that they are free to explore their artistic abilities. When she's not teaching potter at her home studio, Bennet-Williams is a a professor of arts at The College of The Bahamas, where she's been employed for 22 years. Tuesday January 26, 2010