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WILKES-BARRE — “Throwing” pottery, as those familiar with the practice might say, can be a mesmerizing art for the observer.
The potter can turn a lump of clay into a bowl, vase, or other stoneware item in just a few minutes. The art of throwing pottery has been around since the Mesopotamian civilization’s peak over 5,000 years ago, and pottery has been an enduring and useful craft since. Skip Sensbach set up shop for the weekend at the Fine Arts Fiesta on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre to teach visitors all about the ancient art. Sensbach is from Dallas and has been making pottery for about 20 years. He owns Green Dog Pottery in Dallas.
“When I moved to Pennsylvania, I started taking lessons with a local potter who’s not around anymore, and I loved it. I just kind of went forward from there,” Sensbach said.
He throws several different styles of pottery that are functional with a rustic styling. His most popular line are pieces from his fern collection, which have fern patterns and earth-toned glazing. They are fired in gas-powered kilns. He also frequently makes pieces that feature geometric patterns created by pressing wood blocks into the clay. He fires those in a wood-powered kiln to accentuate the pattern with the dark ash created by the wood.
“When we fire clay with wood, it takes about 30 hours of continuous flame, so we actually have to have a rotation of people come in on shifts all through the day and night to keep the temperature up,” Sensbach commented.
“The throwing part is not that time-consuming, I could throw a mug or a bowl in about 10 minutes,” he continued. “But then the piece has to dry for about a week, it goes in a kiln for 20 hours, then I glaze it, then it goes back into the kiln for another 10 hours, then it takes a few days to cool. The process itself is lengthy, not the actual act of throwing a piece.”
Sensbach’s tent is located toward the center of Public Square behind the bandshell. He throws pots ready to be fired in between customer visits. He was one of the few artists at the Fiesta producing their art during the heat of the day.
“Pottery is my life. This is all I do. I teach it, I throw it, I make it. It means everything to me,” said Sensbach.
Sensbach teaches pottery classes and is an artist in residence at Misericordia University in Dallas for students of the university and the 16+ community. He is teaching an “Adult Clay Basics I” class this summer. There are classes on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6-8. The cost of the class is $170 and includes 16 hours of instruction and a bag of clay.
