#wildclay — Public Fediverse posts

Super fun activity with the teen mentee today. I showed her how to turn #WildClay into a workable clay body, a slip and terra sigillata. We processed the clay, removing small rocks and root material with a sieve. We dipped a test tile into the resulting creamy slip and then poured some of that slip onto plaster to quick-dry it into a plastic state. She made a little pinch pot from that. Then we watered down the slip and added a touch of sodium silicate for the sig. She was stoked. #AltText

Super fun activity with the teen mentee today. I showed her how to turn #WildClay into a workable clay body, a slip and terra sigillata. We processed the clay, removing small rocks and root material with a sieve. We dipped a test tile into the resulting creamy slip and then poured some of that slip onto plaster to quick-dry it into a plastic state. She made a little pinch pot from that. Then we watered down the slip and added a touch of sodium silicate for the sig. She was stoked. #AltText

A couple favorite Earth Tone pots from my last kiln load. I sent them to a gallery this week for an upcoming show. The theme is geometric patterning. I can’t wait to see the work from the other makers. It will be very cool to see everyone’s pottery grouped together—unique, yet united by a common theme. #pottery #ceramics #WildClay

A couple favorite Earth Tone pots from my last kiln load. I sent them to a gallery this week for an upcoming show. The theme is geometric patterning. I can’t wait to see the work from the other makers. It will be very cool to see everyone’s pottery grouped together—unique, yet united by a common theme. #pottery #ceramics #WildClay

Two different terra sigillata results from the same #WildClay sample. I’ve talked a lot about how terra sig is just refined clay slip—Clay and water blended, left to settle and then you collect the silky fine layer at the top to decorate with.

Well, you can get varied results depending on how long you let the clay solution settle. The shiny red is a highly refined sig (left to sit for four days) and the green is a less refined sig (sat for 24 hrs.) I find this so interesting!

Two different terra sigillata results from the same #WildClay sample. I’ve talked a lot about how terra sig is just refined clay slip—Clay and water blended, left to settle and then you collect the silky fine layer at the top to decorate with.

Well, you can get varied results depending on how long you let the clay solution settle. The shiny red is a highly refined sig (left to sit for four days) and the green is a less refined sig (sat for 24 hrs.) I find this so interesting!

Both of the earth tones on this cup come from #Louisiana. The chocolate brown is from a clay from Bayou Teche gifted to me by @archeaids. The iron red is from a creek in St. Francisville—the very first place I ever found and collected #WildClay. The richness and depth of these tones could never be matched by commercial materials and the subtle sheen that creates a leather-like surface is the hallmark of terra sigillata.

Both of the earth tones on this cup come from #Louisiana. The chocolate brown is from a clay from Bayou Teche gifted to me by @archeaids. The iron red is from a creek in St. Francisville—the very first place I ever found and collected #WildClay. The richness and depth of these tones could never be matched by commercial materials and the subtle sheen that creates a leather-like surface is the hallmark of terra sigillata.

A pyramid of ceramic test tiles showing the various tones I get from some of the different #WildClay samples I've collected. The pots I decorate with these clays are called my Earth Tone series. I began working this way in 2024.

The iron red tiles along the bottom are very similar to one another, but IRL it's easier to notice differences in sheen and undertone. Each one is unique.

Each #color is a gift from nature. All I have to do is arrange them to my liking.

A pyramid of ceramic test tiles showing the various tones I get from some of the different #WildClay samples I've collected. The pots I decorate with these clays are called my Earth Tone series. I began working this way in 2024.

The iron red tiles along the bottom are very similar to one another, but IRL it's easier to notice differences in sheen and undertone. Each one is unique.

Each #color is a gift from nature. All I have to do is arrange them to my liking.

Working on new batches of decorating slips with clays from Alabama, Georgia and New Mexico.

I was contacted recently by Rhonda Willers, the author of Terra Sigillata: Contemporary Techniques. She’s working on a 2nd edition and wants to include my midrange #WildClay experiments. We got on the phone the other day and I learned so much from speaking with her. My process is very self-guided so being able to get into the nitty gritty on such a specific topic is rare and extremely helpful.

Working on new batches of decorating slips with clays from Alabama, Georgia and New Mexico.

I was contacted recently by Rhonda Willers, the author of Terra Sigillata: Contemporary Techniques. She’s working on a 2nd edition and wants to include my midrange #WildClay experiments. We got on the phone the other day and I learned so much from speaking with her. My process is very self-guided so being able to get into the nitty gritty on such a specific topic is rare and extremely helpful.

I wanted to show this mug finished. It's one of the pieces I sent to Red Lodge for the "Clay As Place" show, labeled with the locations where the #clay I used to make the decorating slip was collected. #pottery #ceramics #WildClay

I wanted to show this mug finished. It's one of the pieces I sent to Red Lodge for the "Clay As Place" show, labeled with the locations where the #clay I used to make the decorating slip was collected. #pottery #ceramics #WildClay

George Washington Carver, best known for his scientific innovations, was also an artist who experimented with natural pigments since childhood. These paint swatches at the GW Carver Museum at Tuskegee show the color palettes he developed using natural #clay from Alabama. He freely shared recipes detailing the process of turning clay into house paint so that those with little or no money could still enjoy beautiful surroundings. #BlackFedi #AddToBlacksky #WildClay #art #BlackHistory

George Washington Carver, best known for his scientific innovations, was also an artist who experimented with natural pigments since childhood. These paint swatches at the GW Carver Museum at Tuskegee show the color palettes he developed using natural #clay from Alabama. He freely shared recipes detailing the process of turning clay into house paint so that those with little or no money could still enjoy beautiful surroundings. #BlackFedi #AddToBlacksky #WildClay #art #BlackHistory

I’m making a custom clay body for my upcoming workshop using #WildClay I collected just south of where I live, and combining it with a midrange commercial clay to give it the durability it lacks on its own. The sample on the right was fired to over 2100°F, just under its melting point, and is still fragile and easily broken. The color transformation is lovely, though. I’m excited to give workshop participants a unique opportunity to work with local clay.

I’m making a custom clay body for my upcoming workshop using #WildClay I collected just south of where I live, and combining it with a midrange commercial clay to give it the durability it lacks on its own. The sample on the right was fired to over 2100°F, just under its melting point, and is still fragile and easily broken. The color transformation is lovely, though. I’m excited to give workshop participants a unique opportunity to work with local clay.

I’m making terra sigillata from the clay I collected from my birthplace last summer. I’ve been invited to a show called “Clay as Place: The Transient Object” and it reminds me that my #WildClay collection is a mirror of my experience with transience—moving, touring and visiting. But when I went and collected that clay from the duck pond in Virginia, I could be certain that it’s the same earth that was there when I was four years old, throwing the birds stale bread.

I’m making terra sigillata from the clay I collected from my birthplace last summer. I’ve been invited to a show called “Clay as Place: The Transient Object” and it reminds me that my #WildClay collection is a mirror of my experience with transience—moving, touring and visiting. But when I went and collected that clay from the duck pond in Virginia, I could be certain that it’s the same earth that was there when I was four years old, throwing the birds stale bread.

In the before picture, the mug has been painted with terra sig (from Louisiana, Virginia and Ontario) and is unglazed. This is one of the pieces I decorated at the dining room table when it was too cold to be in my studio. #BeforeAndAfter #ceramics #pottery #WildClay

In the before picture, the mug has been painted with terra sig (from Louisiana, Virginia and Ontario) and is unglazed. This is one of the pieces I decorated at the dining room table when it was too cold to be in my studio. #BeforeAndAfter #ceramics #pottery #WildClay

It’s tough to make #pottery with this type of clay that we would deem functional. I’ve attempted to do so by combining it with commercially mined materials that help decrease porosity (or encourage vitrification.) In the end, I decided to honor its natural qualities instead of trying to force it to be something it isn’t. (Beautiful life lesson, right?) This is a sculptural vessel I made last year with minimally processed #Florida clay. #WildClay

It’s tough to make #pottery with this type of clay that we would deem functional. I’ve attempted to do so by combining it with commercially mined materials that help decrease porosity (or encourage vitrification.) In the end, I decided to honor its natural qualities instead of trying to force it to be something it isn’t. (Beautiful life lesson, right?) This is a sculptural vessel I made last year with minimally processed #Florida clay. #WildClay

I tested the #clay the surfer gave me and it turns out to be very similar to many other samples I’ve found in #Florida. The gray-to-yellow/off-white transformation, the high porosity even when fired to high temps—this is the most common type of clay I’ve found, not just in SW FL, but even in central and NE FL. #WildClay

I tested the #clay the surfer gave me and it turns out to be very similar to many other samples I’ve found in #Florida. The gray-to-yellow/off-white transformation, the high porosity even when fired to high temps—this is the most common type of clay I’ve found, not just in SW FL, but even in central and NE FL. #WildClay

Twinning in the sun 🌞 with my favorite mug from this collection. I did not consciously dress like the mug but considering the fact that I mostly wore neutral tones before I started working with #WildClay sig, it’s safe to say that the clay is speaking through my outfits these days. The pink, orange and olive green on the exterior are all natural clay tones. This mug is going to a home in Gainesville, Florida. A few pieces are left: www.potterybyosa.com
#pottery #ceramics #handmade

Twinning in the sun 🌞 with my favorite mug from this collection. I did not consciously dress like the mug but considering the fact that I mostly wore neutral tones before I started working with #WildClay sig, it’s safe to say that the clay is speaking through my outfits these days. The pink, orange and olive green on the exterior are all natural clay tones. This mug is going to a home in Gainesville, Florida. A few pieces are left: www.potterybyosa.com
#pottery #ceramics #handmade

Here is the original #clay. We found it in a construction site in Venice, just south of us. They were digging a retention pond beside a new road. The construction is now complete and the pond is filled with water, but for a moment the site was kind of like a playground for fossil hunters and clay diggers.

I've had a pretty difficult time working with this clay and incorporating it into my work, so I'm glad it could successfully serve another purpose. #wildclay #Florida

Here is the original #clay. We found it in a construction site in Venice, just south of us. They were digging a retention pond beside a new road. The construction is now complete and the pond is filled with water, but for a moment the site was kind of like a playground for fossil hunters and clay diggers.

I've had a pretty difficult time working with this clay and incorporating it into my work, so I'm glad it could successfully serve another purpose. #wildclay #Florida

Photos from last Friday's #ArtistTalk at UUSRQ Lexow Gallery for "The Re-Enchantment of Nature," a showing of work by myself and digital collage artist Stephen White. This was my first opportunity to speak in person with a local audience since I began creating my Earth Tone pieces using #WildClay. It was a great opportunity to share inspiration and focus on what we love about where we live. I even made a punch bowl just for the event inspired by my favorite plant, the red Thai roselle.

Photos from last Friday's #ArtistTalk at UUSRQ Lexow Gallery for "The Re-Enchantment of Nature," a showing of work by myself and digital collage artist Stephen White. This was my first opportunity to speak in person with a local audience since I began creating my Earth Tone pieces using #WildClay. It was a great opportunity to share inspiration and focus on what we love about where we live. I even made a punch bowl just for the event inspired by my favorite plant, the red Thai roselle.

I already have more than enough #clay samples to keep me busy but somehow everywhere I went in #Louisiana there seemed to be a pile of disturbed clay soil just waiting there for me to find. The most interesting was at the #LSU Lakes which they are currently dredging as a step toward restoration. Tons of dark gray clay (likely mixed with a good amount of organic muck) was piled along the edge. I flew back home with five samples. I like to help keep TSA on their toes. #WildClay #abundance #nature

I already have more than enough #clay samples to keep me busy but somehow everywhere I went in #Louisiana there seemed to be a pile of disturbed clay soil just waiting there for me to find. The most interesting was at the #LSU Lakes which they are currently dredging as a step toward restoration. Tons of dark gray clay (likely mixed with a good amount of organic muck) was piled along the edge. I flew back home with five samples. I like to help keep TSA on their toes. #WildClay #abundance #nature

Yesterday we took our family to our favorite #nature park in #Louisiana. It was my 3 month old nephew’s very first hike and the first place I ever found #WildClay years ago when we lived in Baton Rouge.

Yesterday we took our family to our favorite #nature park in #Louisiana. It was my 3 month old nephew’s very first hike and the first place I ever found #WildClay years ago when we lived in Baton Rouge.

I started calling my little jars of terra sigillata “dirt water.” I’m currently in the surface decorating phase of my process, which I love. It requires patience but I do enjoy the process of applying terra sig with my little Japanese calligraphy brush. Lately, it’s the firing process that has been giving me trouble. I’ve been having problems with sig flaking off—sometimes because of too-thick application or too-high firing temps. #DecoratingWithDirt #WildClay #ceramics

I started calling my little jars of terra sigillata “dirt water.” I’m currently in the surface decorating phase of my process, which I love. It requires patience but I do enjoy the process of applying terra sig with my little Japanese calligraphy brush. Lately, it’s the firing process that has been giving me trouble. I’ve been having problems with sig flaking off—sometimes because of too-thick application or too-high firing temps. #DecoratingWithDirt #WildClay #ceramics

I started calling my little jars of terra sigillata “dirt water.” I’m currently in the surface decorating phase of my process, which I love. It requires patience but I do enjoy the process of applying terra sig with my little Japanese calligraphy brush. Lately, it’s the firing process that has been giving me trouble. I’ve been having problems with sig flaking off—sometimes because of too-thick application or too-high firing temps. #DecoratingWithDirt #WildClay #ceramics

I started calling my little jars of terra sigillata “dirt water.” I’m currently in the surface decorating phase of my process, which I love. It requires patience but I do enjoy the process of applying terra sig with my little Japanese calligraphy brush. Lately, it’s the firing process that has been giving me trouble. I’ve been having problems with sig flaking off—sometimes because of too-thick application or too-high firing temps. #DecoratingWithDirt #WildClay #ceramics

I started calling my little jars of terra sigillata “dirt water.” I’m currently in the surface decorating phase of my process, which I love. It requires patience but I do enjoy the process of applying terra sig with my little Japanese calligraphy brush. Lately, it’s the firing process that has been giving me trouble. I’ve been having problems with sig flaking off—sometimes because of too-thick application or too-high firing temps. #DecoratingWithDirt #WildClay #ceramics

I included these pieces in the exhibition that opened Sunday. The middle piece features the crackled, fragmented surface I wrote about a few weeks back. The two pieces on either end were formed with clay collected from a construction site in Sarasota County and are unglazed. Up close, you can see the grainy sediment including small, black fossil fragments. The Earth is its own document, leaving a record for us to decipher. #WildClay #alttext

I included these pieces in the exhibition that opened Sunday. The middle piece features the crackled, fragmented surface I wrote about a few weeks back. The two pieces on either end were formed with clay collected from a construction site in Sarasota County and are unglazed. Up close, you can see the grainy sediment including small, black fossil fragments. The Earth is its own document, leaving a record for us to decipher. #WildClay #alttext

I made this piece for an upcoming exhibition at Utilitarian Clay, a #ceramics conference at Arrowmont School of Craft in Tennessee. I’ve made pitcher & basin sets before, but this is my first one with the #WildClay surface. I began to see them as interpretations of Venus standing in a clam shell on the water, representing love, femininity, sex, desire, beauty. I picture this set in someone’s home resting together but put to use separately—as a vase and a serving bowl. #pottery #cerámica

I made this piece for an upcoming exhibition at Utilitarian Clay, a #ceramics conference at Arrowmont School of Craft in Tennessee. I’ve made pitcher & basin sets before, but this is my first one with the #WildClay surface. I began to see them as interpretations of Venus standing in a clam shell on the water, representing love, femininity, sex, desire, beauty. I picture this set in someone’s home resting together but put to use separately—as a vase and a serving bowl. #pottery #cerámica

After I’ve tested my new #WildClay samples on tiles, the next step is to try them on small items to see how they behave. It’s common to get a satisfactory result on a test tile but then have problems when applying that same material to an actual pot. For instance, the dark brown clay (inside the leaf shapes) came out perfectly smooth on the tile but flakes slightly when applied to textured areas of the pot. Once I’m satisfied with the results on a cup, I can move to application on larger pieces.

After I’ve tested my new #WildClay samples on tiles, the next step is to try them on small items to see how they behave. It’s common to get a satisfactory result on a test tile but then have problems when applying that same material to an actual pot. For instance, the dark brown clay (inside the leaf shapes) came out perfectly smooth on the tile but flakes slightly when applied to textured areas of the pot. Once I’m satisfied with the results on a cup, I can move to application on larger pieces.

Earthen Rainbow 🌈 These are the results from my last terra sig test run—clays collected from hotel parking lots, construction sites, river banks and more. The common soil under our feet contains infinite possibilities that we will probably never exhaust and that most of us will never even begin to explore. We haven’t given the Earth proper attention, appreciation or care yet people want to explore and colonize Mars. #clay #WildClay #nature #pottery #Earth

Earthen Rainbow 🌈 These are the results from my last terra sig test run—clays collected from hotel parking lots, construction sites, river banks and more. The common soil under our feet contains infinite possibilities that we will probably never exhaust and that most of us will never even begin to explore. We haven’t given the Earth proper attention, appreciation or care yet people want to explore and colonize Mars. #clay #WildClay #nature #pottery #Earth

This may be my first Canadian #clay sample, but it’s my second sample from the #GreatLakes region. A while back, a friend brought me some clay from Lake Ontario (left) which melts into a pea-green glaze. The clay that I collected from the Niagara Peninsula—about 80km/50mi inland from the shores of Lake Ontario—gave very similar results.

I’ve also collected clays five miles apart (or even in the same general location but different elevations) that were vastly different from each other. #WildClay