Shaping Your Life's Dream

Written By: Janette Locke  |  Posted: Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

It takes passion, creativity, determination, patience and very dirty work, but it's worth it! Pottery is an old art, but Barry Weiss is keeping the art alive and well in his Hummingbird Pottery Studio in his own backyard. His little barn style studio that houses his equipment is the perfect place for him to spend his time and energy as not only a talented potter, but also as a gifted teacher. He teaches adult students during eight week class sessions in which they have two hour classes once a week. In the very first class, Barry immediately teaches his students how to "throw" clay and starts them on their own pieces of pottery. By the end of the eight weeks, each student creates about twenty clay products and usually has one pot that is worth bringing home and displaying. But how did Barry Weiss himself come to be such a good potter and teacher?

Back in the early stages of his adulthood, Barry played around with pottery and made a few pots, but didn't really pursue it any farther. He let his skill and desire to be a potter remain dormant until just nine years ago when he decided to awaken his slumbering skill and passion for pottery by going back to the basics and starting from scratch. Barry found a potter's wheel being sold for an affordable price at an auction so he immediately bought it and placed it in his small, empty barn style shed. Hours, days, weeks and months slipped by as he sat behind that wheel and tested his rusty pottery skills. His firsts attempts at creating various objects didn't exactly result in breathtaking stoneware, but, as he continued practicing and changing his methods, Barry was soon producing lovely, sellable pottery.

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