In sixth grade art class, junior Natalie Poklop watched as the teacher transformed a ball of clay into a pot on the pottery wheel. Unsatisfied with only decorating it, she was anxious to try shaping a piece of pottery on a wheel for herself, also known as “throwing a pot.” Soon afterwards, she signed up for ceramics classes at The Art Center Highland Park.

“Once [my art instructor at The Art Center Highland Park] let me use the wheel, I realized how much I loved [pottery], and I just wanted to keep doing it,” Natalie Poklop said.

Five years later, her pottery adorns the shelves of her house and the houses of her customers.

Natalie Poklop said her parents convinced her to start selling her pottery and have been extremely supportive of her art.

“I was pretty good at it pretty quickly, and [my parents] knew if I joined [the art community] as a minor, I could make pretty good money because most people can’t [throw a pot] as easily as I can,” Natalie Poklop said.

She earns a profit selling her ceramics at local art festivals during the summer. Her pottery is purchased for anywhere from $5 to $100, depending on the size of the piece and how much time she put into it. Natalie Poklop’s father Joe Poklop said art festivals give Natalie the chance to interact with adult artists and develop business skills that often coincide with art.

“When [there are] shows, I go there, I help her set up, I help her design the booth,” said Joe Poklop. “But as far as selling it, she does that all on her own.”

Junior Glenny Franzen, Natalie Poklop’s friend of ten years, said Natalie Poklop has always had some kind of art in her life.

“For as long as I can remember, she’s liked art,” said Franzen. “ … When we were younger, it was drawing or painting. And then, when she started taking [pottery] classes, she fell in love with it.”

Natalie Poklop still takes ceramics classes at The Art Center Highland Park, which she pays for by helping her instructor keep the studio organized. In addition to her time at The Art Center Highland Park, she spends her free periods working on pottery and plans to take Ceramics 461 at Glenbrook North.

Franzen said she can easily identify Natalie Poklop’s pottery amongst the pottery of other artists.

“Her [pottery] is always colorful,” said Franzen. “It always has a blue or purple, and sometimes she puts glass on the bottom and puts it in the kiln so it cracks. It’s so cool.”

Joe Poklop said Natalie Poklop’s work expresses her personality. He has enjoyed watching her work improve.

Like his daughter, Joe Poklop is artistically involved, having attended the School of the Arts at the University of Kansas. He said that art runs in the Poklop family.

“Her grandmother was a good painter, [and] my father was a great artist … a lot of it is passed on,” said Joe Poklop. “So we bounce ideas and things off each other.”

Joe Poklop said he knows Natalie Poklop wants to pursue art in the future. He would like her to study business as well as art so she has the skills to continue selling her pottery on her own because he has seen how happy pottery makes her.

“It’s good to see the artistic side of people coming out because the world is so serious now, and everybody is so [angry] about everything,” said Joe Poklop.

Natalie Poklop said making pottery is a good stress reliever. She wants to pursue it after high school and become an art teacher.

“I think it’s just helped me let myself go,” she said. “I’ve noticed that whenever I’m stressed, whenever I’m mad, I always wish I could go to The Art Center [Highland Park] and throw a pot.”