Student Spotlight: Carson Huff ’23
This story appeared in the Spring 2022 issue of Indian Springs Magazine.
Carson Huff ’23 is charting new territory as an accomplished athlete and artist. He’s a star on the basketball court, though his real passion is pottery.
On any given day, you can find Carson stooped over a wheel in Indian Springs’ pottery studio. He spends eight or more hours a week perfecting his craft with unparalleled patience and finesse.
“You have to give yourself enough time to work and maintain the pace,” says Carson. “You can’t rush pottery because it won’t turn out the way you want it to. You can’t over-muscle it either because you’ll just get frustrated.”
Carson first tried his hand at throwing in the sixth grade when his teacher brought a wheel to class every Friday. Once he overcame common beginner’s mistakes in centering the clay, the rest came naturally. He steadily progressed ahead of his peers and was ready to fly solo once he started at Indian Springs.
After Carson had taken the prerequisite course in sculpting, art department chair and alum Clay Colvin ’95 granted him free rein of the studio. He systematically experimented with various shapes and glazes to develop a formula for achieving his envisioned results.
“My art represents determination,” says Carson. “I throw away a good amount of pieces. Sometimes you have to go through several iterations to get it right.”
The piece Carson is most proud of so far is a riveted cylinder with orange glaze “dripping” over a white base coat. The color is a blend of brown glaze and yellow with glitter, which he decided to try after seeing his friend, Ethan Xiao ’23, mix colors. Carson’s main source of inspiration is enjoying others’ creativity.
Similarly, when Carson is on the basketball court, he is motivated by seeing teammates succeed. He led Indian Springs’ varsity team to subregionals this year with a 16-3 record and a top 10 ranking through most of the season. Though his favorite moment was during a game against rival Altamont. Carson passed the ball to ninth-grader Max Markstein ’25, who got to score in his first game ever.
“It’s about playing for the people on the bench,” says Carson. “Maybe you’ve got someone who doesn’t shoot that well, and he’ll only get in the game if we’re up by a number of points. I’m going to do what I can to help him get in.”
Carson keeps a cool head even in the heat of the game. He usually takes a nap or spends quiet time in the studio to get into the zone. For him, athleticism is about understanding your body and its response to different environments. His primary academic interest is anatomy and physiology.
Also interested in biology and ecology, Carson is an avid angler at Oak Moutain State Park and Indian Springs’ campus lake. His most impressive catch to date was a six-and-a-half-pound bass, though he has plans to make waves this spring by hooking one of Indian Springs’ elusive 50 to 70-pound carp.
Carson Huff ’23 is charting new territory as an accomplished athlete and artist. He’s a star on the basketball court, though his real passion is pottery.
On any given day, you can find Carson stooped over a wheel in Indian Springs’ pottery studio. He spends eight or more hours a week perfecting his craft with unparalleled patience and finesse.
“You have to give yourself enough time to work and maintain the pace,” says Carson. “You can’t rush pottery because it won’t turn out the way you want it to. You can’t over-muscle it either because you’ll just get frustrated.”
Carson first tried his hand at throwing in the sixth grade when his teacher brought a wheel to class every Friday. Once he overcame common beginner’s mistakes in centering the clay, the rest came naturally. He steadily progressed ahead of his peers and was ready to fly solo once he started at Indian Springs.
After Carson had taken the prerequisite course in sculpting, art department chair and alum Clay Colvin ’95 granted him free rein of the studio. He systematically experimented with various shapes and glazes to develop a formula for achieving his envisioned results.
“My art represents determination,” says Carson. “I throw away a good amount of pieces. Sometimes you have to go through several iterations to get it right.”
The piece Carson is most proud of so far is a riveted cylinder with orange glaze “dripping” over a white base coat. The color is a blend of brown glaze and yellow with glitter, which he decided to try after seeing his friend, Ethan Xiao ’23, mix colors. Carson’s main source of inspiration is enjoying others’ creativity.
Similarly, when Carson is on the basketball court, he is motivated by seeing teammates succeed. He led Indian Springs’ varsity team to subregionals this year with a 16-3 record and a top 10 ranking through most of the season. Though his favorite moment was during a game against rival Altamont. Carson passed the ball to ninth-grader Max Markstein ’25, who got to score in his first game ever.
“It’s about playing for the people on the bench,” says Carson. “Maybe you’ve got someone who doesn’t shoot that well, and he’ll only get in the game if we’re up by a number of points. I’m going to do what I can to help him get in.”
Carson keeps a cool head even in the heat of the game. He usually takes a nap or spends quiet time in the studio to get into the zone. For him, athleticism is about understanding your body and its response to different environments. His primary academic interest is anatomy and physiology.
Also interested in biology and ecology, Carson is an avid angler at Oak Moutain State Park and Indian Springs’ campus lake. His most impressive catch to date was a six-and-a-half-pound bass, though he has plans to make waves this spring by hooking one of Indian Springs’ elusive 50 to 70-pound carp.
190 Woodward Drive, Indian Springs, Alabama 35124
Phone: 205.988.3350
Indian Springs School, an independent school recognized nationally as a leader in boarding and day education for grades 8-12, serves a talented and diverse student body and offers admission to qualified students regardless of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Located in Indian Springs, Alabama, just south of Birmingham, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
© 2023 Indian Springs School. All Rights Reserved.
© 2023 Indian Springs School. All Rights Reserved.