Molding clay into pottery isn’t a precise process that’s measured in a lab. “Yeah, I’m real scientific, I just eyeball it and go,” artist Phyll Klema said with a smile as she shared some of the techniques she’s been using to make pottery come to life for 40 years.
Klema was in Lindsborg during the Makers Street event in May and teaches pottery courses during the week in Salina. “I tell my students not to be afraid and to experiment with their craft,” she said. Klema added that being an artisan has always been in her DNA. “I always wanted to be an artist, but my dad told me I would starve.”
Klema now spends her days as a consultant to area businesses while teaching pottery courses four nights a week in the basement of Salina’s Memorial Hall. “I choose to be a functional potter and I’m proud to say I’m a craftsperson.” Those wanting to join Klema’s class at the novice or intermediate level can contact her at 620-791-7843.
During a Makers Street event, author George Frazier shares at Rendezvous Adventure Outfitters about his book The Last Wild Places of Kansas.