Bowls for the Board

7 July 2015Sarah Swanson, Alex ‘15; Photo by Brynn Alexander, Hope '15

The pressure was on – Scott Wheaton and I were asked to make nine large bowls for the Governors retiring from the Board. We were pleased to have this opportunity to help out the school and give up our time to make bowls to thank the Governors for their hard work and leadership, but we knew the product needed to be really good. The process for making a big bowl isn’t easy. Scott and I had to begin with six pounds of clay to form a bowl on the throwing wheel. We increased the amount of the clay every pottery day until we were throwing with ten pounds. As the mass of the clay increased, the bowls become harder to make. We struggled with the first few – some collapsed, and some we accidently poked holes through. But we showed grit! As we kept working, we managed to get the hang of it with the help of Mrs. Elmes. Once the bowls were fired, we patiently painted them with a glazes to create a special effect instead of the one-color look. They turned out to be a dark blue with red mixed in. To show our thanks from the student body and staff, we wrote “With Appreciation” on the bottom of the big bowls. Brentwood would not be where it is today without the Board of Governors. We, as a student body and staff, thank the Board of Governors for their leadership and support for our school community. Sarah Swanson, Alex ‘15, Co-Captain of Pottery

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