This vase was a custom order for a couple’s 9th wedding anniversary. They wanted something they could pass down to future generations and thought a ceramic piece would make a good commemorative heirloom. They mentioned their love for terracotta amaryllis, a variety I’d never heard of. Terracotta literally means “baked earth” so I was excited to render the flower in clay tones using a mixture of pink Alabama #clay and a clay called Newman Red from California. #pottery

This vase was a custom order for a couple’s 9th wedding anniversary. They wanted something they could pass down to future generations and thought a ceramic piece would make a good commemorative heirloom. They mentioned their love for terracotta amaryllis, a variety I’d never heard of. Terracotta literally means “baked earth” so I was excited to render the flower in clay tones using a mixture of pink Alabama #clay and a clay called Newman Red from California. #pottery

I’m offering this #VirtualWorkshop for the second time on Saturday, October 25. If you’ve ever had an interest in working with #clay, I hope you’ll join me. #Ceramics used to be a free creative medium but has become an expensive hobby. In this workshop, I will explain exactly how to take advantage of the therapeutic benefits of working with clay, but at minimal cost. The workshop is sliding scale beginning at $10. Recording available. More info & signup: https://potterybyosa.com/products/virtual-workshop-clay-is-for-everyone

I'm overwhelmed by the response to this piece. Thank you for all of the thoughtful, heartfelt comments.

I managed not to document any of the carving and slip decorating phase, but I did get some video of the coil building process. I made a short video that shows the technique, but it's more about my thoughts behind the process.

https://makertube.net/w/screFEXjuoGsUTKBWJ9wtE

#pottery #ceramics #clay #art #fractals #studio #handmade

I’m offering this #VirtualWorkshop for the second time on Saturday, October 25. If you’ve ever had an interest in working with #clay, I hope you’ll join me. #Ceramics used to be a free creative medium but has become an expensive hobby. In this workshop, I will explain exactly how to take advantage of the therapeutic benefits of working with clay, but at minimal cost. The workshop is sliding scale beginning at $10. Recording available. More info & signup: https://potterybyosa.com/products/virtual-workshop-clay-is-for-everyone

"One model is the North African zeer pot: two nested #clay pots separated by wet sand. As air moves across the surface, evaporation chills the inner pot enough to preserve vegetables for weeks... Using local clay and a ceramic 3D printer, the team built porous column modules packed with sand and water. Like a scaled-up zeer pot, air cools as it passes over the moist surface."

https://atmos.earth/the-future-of-cooling-was-invented-thousands-of-years-ago/

#atmos #climate#IndigenousWisdom#AncientTechnology

"One model is the North African zeer pot: two nested #clay pots separated by wet sand. As air moves across the surface, evaporation chills the inner pot enough to preserve vegetables for weeks... Using local clay and a ceramic 3D printer, the team built porous column modules packed with sand and water. Like a scaled-up zeer pot, air cools as it passes over the moist surface."

https://atmos.earth/the-future-of-cooling-was-invented-thousands-of-years-ago/

#atmos #climate#IndigenousWisdom#AncientTechnology

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

Just got back from a wedding in Ontario. There was a construction site near the place we were staying and I couldn’t resist. This is my first sample of Canadian clay—not that national borders are relevant when considering geological time span. That’s actually one of the reasons I like learning about clay formation—it allows me to imagine a time when all of these f’d up human constructs didn’t exist. #clay#WildClay

Also: Go #CUPE! (We saw a union rally at the airport.) 🍁

Just got back from a wedding in Ontario. There was a construction site near the place we were staying and I couldn’t resist. This is my first sample of Canadian clay—not that national borders are relevant when considering geological time span. That’s actually one of the reasons I like learning about clay formation—it allows me to imagine a time when all of these f’d up human constructs didn’t exist. #clay#WildClay

Also: Go #CUPE! (We saw a union rally at the airport.) 🍁

Here's one of two large terracotta coil pots I fired over the weekend, featuring the pearly, crackled surface I get when I turn #clay from Ocala National Forest into terra sigillata. I'm making these pieces to be shown at upcoming exhibitions in #Florida, hoping to pique others' curiosity about this unique peninsula of limestone & sand that we live on. That curiosity can lead to greater connection with the Earth, something that many of us have lost along the way: https://potterybyosa.com/blogs/clay-people/fractured-fragmented-and-fragile

Here's one of two large terracotta coil pots I fired over the weekend, featuring the pearly, crackled surface I get when I turn #clay from Ocala National Forest into terra sigillata. I'm making these pieces to be shown at upcoming exhibitions in #Florida, hoping to pique others' curiosity about this unique peninsula of limestone & sand that we live on. That curiosity can lead to greater connection with the Earth, something that many of us have lost along the way: https://potterybyosa.com/blogs/clay-people/fractured-fragmented-and-fragile

This lady who has an interest in #pottery and local clay found my blog posts and got in touch with me. She’s a 3rd generation Floridian and grew up believing that there’s no #clay here, which is a very common misconception.

She came by to visit yesterday and brought a couple of clay samples she’d found. I offered to test fire them for her because she doesn’t have a kiln yet. I just placed them in the test kiln and I’m excited to see what happens. Will post results tomorrow! #WildClay#Florida