MEADOW BRIDGE — Local potter Jeff Diehl, of Lockbridge Pottery in Meadow Bridge, is sharing his wheel and talents with a Korean apprentice, Woori Ko.

“When I was an apprentice, my masters shared their pottery knowledge with me,” Diehl said. “It is rewarding for me to continue that tradition and share what I have learned with the next generation.”

Ko studied art and pottery at Sungshin Woman’s University of Fine Arts and this is her first international trip, she said.

“I have been here in West Virginia for eight weeks,” she said. “It is very different from Korea, and I am enjoying all the animals and nature.”

Ko is from Seoul, one of the largest cities in the world, and she is used to fast-paced living and lots of traffic jams.

The apprentice said her clay skills have already improved greatly while working in Diehl’s studio.

“My training at the university was conventional,” Ko said. “Jeff’s style of pottery is free and open to any possibility. Although the techniques I learned at school are very similar to those used here, Jeff challenges me to explore my ideas and push the limits.”

Ko is particularly interested in a technique Jeff has developed for firing crystalline pots. On these unique items, he uses crystal glazes that grow diverse crystal patterns and are affected by sound during the firing process.

“The results he gets from the crystalline firings are fantastic and beautiful,” Ko said. “I have always thought of the world as just people, plants and animals — living things. And before coming here, I thought that music would not influence glaze chemistry, but I have seen the effects when Jeff plays music while firing the pots.”

She added that she is always curious and excited while she waits for the kiln to fire. She loves that pottery can be unexpected and filled with surprises.

“It is very nice to have Woori here to interact with and to play with different ideas, to see things from a different perspective,” Diehl said.

The master and apprentice have done several collaborative pieces, in which Diehl throws a pot and Ko carves or paints the surface. She said she enjoys carving imaginative flowers.

And although Ko is furthering her English while here, working together, Diehl said, “transcends language.”

Ko said she is very happy working at Lockbridge Pottery.

“When I graduated, I did not have the opportunity to make art,” Ko said. “I was busy working to make a living. Now I am doing what I want to do, drawing and working in clay. I appreciate Donna and Jeff because they have helped me to fulfill my dreams and define my future.”

Ko said she hopes to one day establish a pottery company and cafe. Like Diehl, she loves throwing functional pieces like pitchers, cups and saucers. She said she would like to own a coffee shop where customers can use and purchase her pottery.

“If I have an opportunity, I would like to stay in the U.S. and establish the cafe. I like American people because they are kind and very friendly,” Ko added.

Lockbridge Pottery is located at 1274 Lockbridge Road in Meadow Bridge. For more information about Diehl, visit his website at www.lockbridgepottery.com.

— E-mail: splummer@register-herald.com