GROSSE POINTE, Mich. – The COVID pandemic has pushed many of us to find new ways to relieve stress.
Local 4′s Paula Tutman shared her journey with art and how that helped her stay mentally fit and emotionally healthy.
She used clay.
To be one with clay is a gift, an art, an exploration, and a journey into the world of relaxation through creativity.
When we invited everyone to become a WDIV 4 Insider and join our exclusive series on ceramics as COVID stress relief therapy, University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe was watching.
Karen Katanik has an art class and for 35 years she has guided the hands and imaginations of her students, but this year is her swan song as she is retiring.
As a lasting legacy, she and her students will be transforming a commons space and adorning the fireplace with the fire of hand-crafted tiles.
It turns out Ms. Katanik and her class has been following along and mirroring Paula Tutman’s ceramics series.
Watch: Paula Tutman: How learning ceramics helped me creatively cope with COVID
“Knowing that you’re a beginner makes it more comfortable,” said Morgan, who is a student. “It feels like trial and error and just experiment with new things, and if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, you just stop and rethink.”
The class is taking a journey with all of our other WDIV Insiders on our road to doing something virtually together we’ve never done before.
“This is my first year in high school, and this is a great way to start off my first art elective; and I love making the tiles as it’s just super relaxing and kind of a way to get away from everything,” said Lydia, who is a student.
“When I first started doing it, I was a bit nervous because I’m not the best at drawing,” Morgan said.
The ingenuity of teenagers shines through as students use their cell phones to find images to transfer to clay.
“So I find like an inspiration picture, and then I trace the clay tile that I’m using, and then I trace the picture,” Morgan said.
Watch: How Paula Tutman used art to stay mentally fit, emotionally healthy
The sweetness of discovery and experimentation is delightful.
“This is like a tree I drew with some mountains in the background,” said Kelsey, a student in the class.
The getting through COVID together part is so empowering.
“I did a cheetah, and it’s laying on a tree, and then I just put a bunch of plants around it,” said Elyse, another student in the class.
“Every time you start to make an indent on it, you kind of figure out your path because you sketch it out, and you really have no clue what exactly what you’re going to do,” said Ian, another student in the class.
“So when Ian is a father, and his children are coming to our school that he can say hey ‘this is a project that I contributed that tile to,’” said Karen, the teacher of the class. “So it’s not just my legacy, but it’s their legacy as well.”
“I think it’s super dope,” said Olivia, another student in the class. “I love Ms. K, and I’m sad that she’s leaving, but I think this is going to be a really nice piece, and I’m glad that she’s doing it.”