‘Embrace the wonk’: Turning clay into crafted masterpieces
A Strathdickie artist is encouraging residents to shop local this Christmas.
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TURNING a lump of clay into a masterpiece is no simple task, but one Strathdickie artist is encouraging aspiring potters to "embrace the wonk".
Haley Vogel runs the Strathdickie art space Pink Tank Studio alongside her mother Linda.
After spending four years in Brisbane teaching art, Mrs Vogel traded in her smock to teach "bigger kids" up north.
The studio runs Creative Co-Lab Cork and Clay and Coffee and Clay classes where aspiring artists can hone their skills while indulging in a beverage of their choosing.
Mrs Vogel said people were often surprised by their own final products after channelling their inner kid.
"Clay in particular is very hands-on and when we're kids we play with Play Doh and we play outside and we dig in the sand," she said.
"When we grow up, we stop doing that.
"It's kind of like going back to that … it's like being a kid again."
Mrs Vogel has also recently launched her own online store, Haley J Ceramics, with one-of-a-kind gifts and quirky crafts for sale.
After a tough year for small businesses and with Christmas just weeks away, she hoped people looking for the perfect stocking stuffer would choose to shop local.
"We have so many great little businesses around town," she said.
"It's really massive for people to support that and shop locally.
"It allows me to keep sitting in my little studio and potting away and doing something that I really enjoy."
From crafting to firing and glazing, the pieces can take anywhere from 30 minutes to more than an hour to create.
Each item is a labour of love from Mrs Vogel who said they were made all the more special by their imperfections.
"Handmade things are always quirky," she said.
"They've got their own personality.
"I love that element of it, and I could have gone down the road of trying to mass produce things that are all perfect and exactly the same but I really appreciate the wonkiness and the imperfections and the funky little bits.
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"That's something I always tell people in my class- 'Just embrace the wonk'."
The studio also sell take-home kits so residents can get creative from the comfort of their own home.
To take a look at the Creative Co-Lab classes at Pink Tank Studio, click here.
To browse the pieces for sale at Haley J Ceramic, click here.
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