"Eww! It's gooey, it's dirty, it's messy; but, I kinda like it!" says Clay College Director Jackie Sandro, describing her favorite artistic medium, clay.

Clay is obviously the main focus here at Clay College of Cumberland County College, and, it is a very appealing artistic tool.


Jackie explains the appeal, "its very tactile, I think that as soon as you touch it, it's like you want to start shaping it and molding it into something."


"We see everything in 3D and when you work with clay you are able to recreate that in 3D as well. and when you are drawing or painting its just a 2D thing and its harder" fifteen year old clay artist Daisy Greenwell tells us.

The clay and the College attract a wide assortment of artists.

Instructor, Roy Kaneshiki explains, "we've got a variety of age groups here: from young who are taking the course for credit; we've got middle aged and older folks who are just taking it for fun."

And, with the wheel spinning, and a hunk of clay between your hands, it is easy to forget about everything else.

"It's really relaxing, when you're throwing a pot. That all you are thinking about, like that is all that's on your mind, and it is a really relaxing experience" Daisy says.

I was eager to see for myself. And, the director here, Jackie Sandro was nice enough to do the hard part for me.

Jackie describes the hard part, "so the very first and most important step, I think is called centering, and it means you are going to center the clay in the middle of the wheel."

Once centered, we put a hole through the middle, and then widened the clay, and then gave it some height before shaping it.

"What i am doing right now is just kinda squeezing the clay between my fingers and pulling it up; kinda redistributing it upward" Phyllis Seidner explains as she works.

Then, it was time for me to get my hands dirty. It was a lot easier than I imagined, and I soon felt the calming effect! My vase will now sit to dry for several days, and then will head off to the kiln to be fired.

For more information on Clay College, how you can take clay classes of your own, or anything in the Glasstown Arts District, click on links. I'm Monica Ott and This is Millville.