Potter Later - The Final Call

Preparations at Pottery Town for the festival of lights!

Warm greetings to all of you who are reading my blog right now. I love and want to share my experiences (travel experiences or the meet new people, understand a new craft, understand the way of life) as it follows an insight that makes me happy. So here is another story of my visit to the very known - Pottery Town, also the Benson Town.

I had been to Pottery town in 2015 to document the whole of oil lamp (Deepa) making process on the occasion of Deepavali festival. On a casual working day in October we were called to a meeting around 9 30 am to visit this place and begin the documentation.

(Oh! to some of you all who have no idea of what I am talking about - I worked in National Institute of Design and the project dealt with documenting handicrafts- aiming to create digital learning environment for design. To know more - http://www.dsource.in).

We always had the time to research about the place we were going to visit and plan up the process to be covered (take videos I mean). Since it was informed all of a sudden we had to start early. Camera, handy-cam and a tripod were checked and taken.

As we reached this place, on either sides of the streets were displayed huge pots, men worked on -Tandoori Roti making- drums and a lot of oil lamps were kept to dry in front yard of the potters' houses. The place was full with the feel of festive rush already.

Sun kissed! what a beauty! 

We walked through the streets and noticed all the houses that had displayed oil lamps, interacted with potters informing the kind of work we were doing and also gathered information about them. Most of the potters were co-operative and few agitated when we tried to take videos. Some how we had managed to cover the basics on our first visit.

One or two months prior to the festival potters begin their work of making diya (oil lamps). The terracotta clay is mixed, nicely stamped and made ready for use. The making and the final outcome of the documentation is all loaded here in the link below.

http://www.dsource.in/resource/diya-making-diwali-bengaluru

We reached the SSC pottery house by 11 am on our second visit and continued the process. The potter was patient enough to talk while working on wheel, allowed to take pictures of them and all the products. They were kind enough to show their store where all the products were stacked. The way to this storeroom was quite interesting- we had to walk around a narrow path which lead to back yard of the house and then was a staircase that lead to the storeroom. It was a small room where variety of diyas were stacked nicely in boxes.

The SSC Pottery Works, where we met Mr. Chandrashekar (Potter) and his wife Mrs. Sumitra

At Pottery town was my first encounter with a potter, the sight of the artist - creating things on the wheel was so effortless and amazing. I never knew back then that this visit would impact deep within me and inspire to pursue pottery as my career later on. There, I only held a camera, clicked pictures to document and reported back to office to transfer all the data we had. Very little I knew that I would realize so much about working on a wheel like at present. I always enjoyed field visits because of the travel, the opportunity to meet people and interactions that lead to life lessons. 

It was a tea break and we went to this small tea shop that was at the corner of the pottery lane. It was a small space where 2 or 3 people could sit resting against the wall.

The kettle that was in the tea stall caught my eyes.

We had a cup of chai (tea) and biscuits here.

The articles were dry and ready to be baked. The kiln was getting set and to get a clear understanding of the baking process you must surely check the link I have mentioned above, it includes the making of oil lamps, drying and firing or the baking process (must check out their Kiln and wood firing if you are a potter as well).

The whole process is mind blowing to me. The potters sense and know how everything behaves, it is their observation skill. At the earliest, a non -potter would only see the final product and admire but as a potter myself at present everything in the field of ceramics is very interesting and involves slowing down to notice.

We were early to pottery town on our last visit, there was a common house that prepared breakfast for all the working potters, regular breakfast (Idli / Dosa with Chutney) was tummy filling. We headed to the kiln area to check if the products were being taken out.

Baking process - passed!

It was such a treat to see them baked and out of the kiln. They were further taken to paint and pack for selling. Pottery requires dedication and potters do it right.

We had finished covering (taking videos and photographs) and before we left the place I took a picture of random boys who were returning from school.

They were looking at the camera and I asked them to pose
(fun part of the visit is always meeting these curious souls)

Back then, I had enjoyed clicking pictures of the place, people and products they made. Do visit the site www. D'source.in and find more exclusive pictures that I have clicked, trust me they are good ☺. 

I never knew that I had the potter in me - I always wanted to be an artist! Though I went to an art school and took a degree in Applied Art (Graphic Design), I couldn't really get involved in the digital field as much as I can with pottery now. When something isn't right-one knows well and the sense of it must be considered without fear to evolve further.

Pottery on the other hand is a diminishing art. I hope the artists keeps it going.

I went through a rough phase definitely but I'm doing what I'm happy about and am on track I can tell.

To know more on how I began working with clay- you will have to wait until I write about it, if you are crazy kind and restless - Follow me on Instagram at sandonwheels.

Hahahah! Much love take care..
oh tis the season to be jolly and Merry Christmas! :)