Clay, of course, comes from the ground. Different kinds of clay vary in properties such as plasticity, color, texture, grit, etc. depending on where it is sourced from. I take this beautiful, messy clay and make something on the wheel. Working on the potter’s wheel requires patience, persistence, and dedication to gain mastery over fundamental steps. Certain knowledge is only obtained from experience. In ceramics, this includes feeling the tension of the clay and how much pressure to place, noticing when the walls of the piece feel weak, and when to stop. This stage, before the clay is fired, is called greenware. This is my favorite phase because if you mess up (No pasa nada of course), you can just recycle the clay, put it back to the earth, and be at peace with the natural cycle. It is truly meditative to know that mistakes can be wedged back into blank slates of potential. The pieces that I make on the wheel are then trimmed, smoothed, and handles and/or other accessories are added. These pieces are then fired in the bisque kiln. This firing goes to almost 2000 degrees F and takes about a day to heat up and a day to cool. Once pieces are bisque fired, I wax the bottoms and glaze.
Many potters dislike glazing. I think this is because there is a loss of control - with glaze, there is an unpredictability. As greenware, you can be sure that a piece is going to turn out a certain way when going into the kiln. With glaze, however, one mistake in the preparation and application of the glaze can result in yet another pencil holder or present for your mom. I actually love this stage; I get to experiment, and whatever the end result I am either pleasantly surprised or I have a learning experience (thankful for my family home for hosting so many of these learning experiences).
Once pieces are removed from the glaze kiln, they are posted on my website and Instagram. From there, they are delivered into your beautiful homes! This is the best part - the knowledge that my pieces will make your daily life that much more enjoyable.
