ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — You don’t need to be a great artist, and you don’t need a lot of experience.

What you do need is some time, some imagination and a willingness to learn.

On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, the Robertsdale Senior Center has a folk art and ceramic group meet. According to Activities Coordinator Dawn Boutwell, it costs, anywhere from $1 to around $13 to create your own work of art, depending on the size of the piece. The center provides the glazes and paints and has a kiln to fire the ceramics.

The work keeps both hands and minds active and the chance to talk and chat with others is precious to many who come to the center.

For Linda Smith of Rosinton, making ceramic items is a good way to pass time and do something useful for others.

Senior center patrons select the item they wish to make from a catalog. The center has “hundreds” of molds to create the ceramic items, according to Boutwell.

Molded items need to be cleaned, fired, painted, and fired again. It can be painstaking work.

Crafts are not ignored. Senior Center members have constructed some eye-catching items from paving stones and baby-food jars.

“I’ve been coming for about 15 years,” said Smith, as she painted a piggy bank that had gone “wrong.” The top of the bank had fallen in as the piece was being molded and instead of destroying the piece, Smith decided to paint it and let the piece become an unusual change bowl.

“I don’t paint for myself,” Smith said, “I am here to help paint stuff and then it goes to the store (the Senior Center has a craft store) and it’s sold.”

Funds raised from the store, which features a variety of handicrafts benefits both the makers of the items, and the center.

But Boutwell added that pieces could go home for the maker’s enjoyment as well. There is no requirement that any piece or pieces go to the store.

In fact, Carol Lambeth was working on a set of “Santa” ornaments she hoped would add tot he decorations in her Loxley home.

Bonnie Richard of Summerdale was working on a set of small Santa figurines. While it’s still a couple of months before Christmas, both women wanted to get a jump on their holiday craft projects.

“Carol found out about this,” said Richard, “and I came to try it myself. I like it because you can show your imagination. I mostly enjoy the people, and I just love Dawn”

“We are not artists,” said Boutwell. “We learn from each other.”

“Nobody here is critical,” said Richard.

For Pat Harris, Baldwin County Council on Aging director, the craft and other programs at the center fill a real need.

“Our seniors stay home all by themselves and are depressed, she said. They come here, and there is 100 percent improvement immediately.”

The center and its programs, said Harris are open to any Baldwin County resident 55 years of age or older, but if someone younger wants to stay with their senior, they are welcome.

And while the activities are nice, it’s the camaraderie with others that makes the difference, Harris says.

“They become really good friends.”