“The most difficult part about being a potter is having that steady hand to work the clay,” master potter Ben Owen III tells an appreciative crowd at a recent workshop at the Harvard Ceramics Building in Allston.
The third-generation artisan from North Carolina dispensed advice and stories from behind the wheel as he shaped vases and teapots. “Major in the minors,” he said, encouraging the student and community potters to pay attention to the details.
“I have never seen a visiting artist make as many works in such a short amount of time,” said Kathy King, director of education for the ceramics program. “This enthusiasm for his craft and generosity in sharing his techniques was impressive.”
Owen said his grandfather began teaching him pottery when he was 9 years old. He would say, “Each pot is a sketch for the next one.”