As a child, I remember playing behind our house barefoot in muddy clay. I loved the feeling of it squishing between my toes, or molding little characters with it. One of Annaliese's all-time favorite activities is working with the pottery wheel. From my own experience as a mom and a teacher, I believe that few art mediums kindle growth and skills in children in the way that clay does. Clay seems to have a unique therapeutic quality that I have seen calm and settle children, especially my own.
I love watching Annie sit at the potter's wheel and place her tiny wet hands on the spinning clay. Clay is familiar to children, and it begs to be touched and formed, twisted and rolled. There are so many sensory experiences going on within them. I love this form of art because it requires an understanding of the three-dimensional world. Children begin to understand shape, form, and perspective when they get their hands dirty with clay. It's a great first lesson in geometry.
I love the look on Annie's face as she creates her pottery. I appreciate the look of her clothes and hands when she's done...so messy and artsy. She always beams with pride with any artwork she does, but there is something special about her pottery work.
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