Winnielle Guilbert
Reporter - SKNVibes.com
~~adz:Left~~ {Basseterre; St Kitts}: Clay was the tool of the day. Yaba Pots, Coal Pots, Candle Holders, Birds and Teddy Bears were some of the many things made from piles of clay with the bare hands of the attendees.
Carla Astaphan of The Potter's House at Camps Estate, St. Kitts along with her assistant facilitator from Nevis, Almena Cornelius (a skilled potter), guided curious participants for two weeks in the skill of Pottery.
The course began on Jan. 22 and welcomed over 30 enthused participants.
Astaphan told SKNVibes.com when we visited the class on Mon. 29 that the class was going really well and had exceeded her level of expectations as far as attendance and she was happy with the results.
She said that the goal was to have a resurgence of pottery, reawakening it into the island so that it can be used as an entrepreneurial avenue.
From the youngest partaker being a 7-year-old to the eldest in their 50's the class was filled with inquisitiveness, a yearning to learn and a joyful demeanor that exuded through their eyes.
There was also laughter while attempting to create art out of clay demonstrated by the two extremely skilled potters.
One of the participants, who was a nurse exclaimed that the most exciting part of the course was to see the 'firing' of the clay and to see the finished look. She proudly noted that she had made a 'yaba' pot and a coal pot.
A Foreign Service Officer in her middle 20's said that she has always had a keen interest in craft. She said that she found the class very educational and was intrigued by the historical aspect of how ingrained pottery is in the Nevis culture that was taught to them by Cornelius.
She admitted that it was a lot of work but described it as kneading flour which in her eyes was good exercise. The entire class she said is trying to arrange a special trip to Nevis to learn more.
Caslyn Wilkin, 9, who attended with his parent, smiled and said that he enjoyed the class because he could make anything.~~adz:Right~~
"I made a snowman! And I am now going to make a pig," he said excitedly. He would encourage his friends to come as it is fun and they would get to play in clay.
Rosebud Lander-Abraham, a Dominican and officer at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, supervised her 7-year-old throughout the class on Wednesday.
Lander said that she was invited to join the class by Astaphan whom she said she would normally buy pottery from.
"It's fun!" she said. "Applying the clay and looking at the pieces evolve is rewarding." Her daughter Pernell also enjoyed the class and was enthused about the pot they made last Friday.
UNESCO sponsored the course and Astaphan said that they wanted to set up a Pottery Association where they can motivate and strengthen one another.
This would also be a good position to advocate for further assistance and to be able to attend different markets she ended.
The ended on Feb. 2, where there was a display of everything that was made during the course along with a closing ceremony.
