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#wildclay

1 post1 participant0 posts today
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Pottery by Osa

This is one of my favorites from the last batch I made. The black is from a manganese-rich clay my friend gave to me in New Mexico, collected from the mountains. The red is also from a NM clay, an iron-rich charcoal gray clay we spotted on the roadside outside of Taos. The dark burgundy diamonds are painted with clay from a beach in Puerto Rico. Lots of memories wrapped up in this piece. #clay #pottery #ceramics #WildClay #handmade #HandmadePottery

A decorative ceramic pitcher with intricate geometric patterns in red, black, and turquoise. The design is symmetrical and radial, featuring pointed shapes and textured elements.
A closeup photo of a small clumps of dark gray clay next to a fired ceramic test tile painted with that same clay. The test tile is rounded and a dark red with a satin sheen. The items lay side by side on a gray cement floor. This is one of the clays that was used to decorate the water pitcher in the first photo.
Public
Pottery by Osa

I finally got around to converting one of my favorite clay samples into a decorating slip. This was an epic find, on the shores of #CapeCod in the summer of 2023, one of the most beautiful deposits of #WildClay I’ve seen: A small fresh water spring carrying #clay down a cliff onto the beach sand below.

I made a small cup with the unprocessed clay and at cone 5, it turned out to be self-glazing. The ocean salt and iron (both fluxes) encourage this effect. More in the #alttext.

The image depicts a sandy beach area with a backdrop of large, rocky cliffs. A stream of gray clay is flowing down from the cliff onto the sand below. There are dark patches of seaweed in the clay. The sky above is bright blue.
A square photo of three objects sitting on a wooden shelf, dusty with clay. On the left, a short, cylindrical cup made of coarse, unprocessed clay. It is dark brown in color and has a soft, vitreous sheen. On its left, a test tile painted with terra sigillata (decorating slip) made from the exact same clay. In its refined form, the clay gives a slightly brighter, iron-red tone with a smooth, satin sheen. In front of these two items is the original clay sample, gray and sandy. I predicted, based on the results of the fired cup, that the terra sigillata would be a glassy, brown glaze. But in fact, the result I did get is quite common and similar to other clays I’ve tested. Nevertheless, it’s a gorgeous surface that I never get tired of. The transformation from gray to red is always interesting to me. I’ve gotten this result several times with clays from New Mexico and Florida as well. It’s a sign that iron is present in the raw clay in a reduced form and then becomes oxided during firing (think rust) bringing out the reddish tone.
Public
Pottery by Osa

A blog post from Studio Stiina, a potter in Princeton, BC, about her journey working with #wildclay from her home province Saskatchewan. We’ve been emailing back and forth ever since she finished reading my clay zine. Aside from the technical stuff, there’s so much sentiment around connection to a place through its clay, which I relate to deeply. In so many different senses, clay holds memory.

stiina.net/blog/wild-clay-proc

Studio StiinaWild Clay Process — Studio Stiina(Scroll to the bottom for the TL;DR version) In the summer of 2020, my husband Kalevi was using an excavator to make a dugout (water pond) for our cows, and a chunk of yellow clay fell out of the side of the hole. He decided to bring it home for me and it started me on a 2 year journey to discover
#pottery#clay#ceramics
Public
Pottery by Osa

It takes me at least a couple of hours to decorate a pot this size. I brush three layers of terra sigillata into each section, alternating the different types of clay in a rhythmic symmetry. Then I’ll bisque fire the pot, apply glaze and fire one last time. I haven’t made as much progress this week as I would have liked so I may end up working a bit this weekend, which is something I try to avoid. Have a good weekend, everyone.
#pottery #clay #ceramics #WIP #timelapse #keramik #wildclay

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Public
Pottery by Osa

I’m ending the week on one of my favorite parts of the process—selecting coordinating hues of glaze and terra sigillata to paint my pots. I started working this way about a year ago. After collecting clay samples for many years, I finally began using them to decorate my pottery. It has added so much to my work in terms of cultural expression and connection to the Earth. More details in the #alttext
#ceramics #clay #pottery #wildclay #WIP

A square photo of a clay sample next to a fired test tile. The clay is a dark orange-tan color and the tile is dark orange-brown with a soft sheen. Both objects lay on a gray concrete floor. The clay was collected from the land around Arrowmont School of Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in the Smoky Mountains. It’s a place I’ve been able to travel to three times so far and holds positive memories for me. I’ve attended workshops there and also taught there myself.
The image features a collection of colorful ceramic test tiles with decorative patterns, placed in front of jars labeled with different place names that correspond with where the clay inside was collected. A bone dry, unfired decorative pitcher is on the right, and various pottery pieces are visible in the background. The objects sit on a work table within the context of an apparently active pottery studio. Various pieces of pottery and kilns can be seen in the background.
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Pottery by Osa

#Clay is so common, I can't believe I took no notice of it for most of my life. As soon as I learned it was abundant in the landscape, I just started seeing it everywhere. "Earthen Rainbow: Working with #WildClay Terra Sigillata at Midrange" is a #zine I wrote describing this experience of connecting with the land and how it's inspired my studio practice. It's also a guide for other clay artists, with technical tips and recipes.

potterybyosa.com/collections/c

A two-sheet spread of pages from my new zine. It shows text interspersed with colorful images of clay samples and test tiles along with historical graphics.
#ZinesByOsa#pottery#ceramics
Public
Pottery by Osa

I made a #zine sharing my experiments and explorations collecting and using #wildclay to decorate my pottery as a way to encourage others to dabble with free, local materials in an easy, non-technical way. I share process, recipes and insights, letting you into my studio practice. Lots of photos of clay samples & test tiles. Available in print or digital (including a printer spread so you can print and make your own zine.)
potterybyosa.com/collections/c
#ZinesByOsa #pottery #ceramics

The cover of my zine featuring a photo of a pitcher I made decorated wild clay terra sigillata. It is tall and geometrically patterned with carved diamond patterns and raised dots. The pitcher is collaged on top of a photo of clay in situ, gray, yellow and tan colors of Florida earth. The zine title “earthen rainbow” is at the top of the page, all lower case and placed a bit crookedly. The subtitle “working with wild clay terra sigillata at midrange” is lower down beside the pitcher inside a light green circle.
My hand holding three copies of “earthen rainbow” zine fanned out. Held up against a sage green background.
Public
Pottery by Osa

I just finished writing an article about working with #wildclay terra sigillata that’ll be out in The Studio Potter, March 1. This is one of my favorite examples I shared: Light-green #clay sample from Abiquiu, NM, refined to terra sig, painted on two test tiles, one fired to cone 04 (left) and the other fired to cone 6 (right). The iron in the clay oxidizes and reveals itself as dark red at a lower temp, then melts & vitrifies into a green glaze at a higher temp. #alchemy #experimentation

Square photo, closeup flat-lay of three objects against a gray cement floor. Top center, a small pile of light-green clay from Abiquiu, NM. Directly below, two rounded ceramic testi tiles brushed with a refined slip called terra sigillata, made from the clay sample above. The one on the left was fired to cone 04 (a lower temperature) and is a dark, iron red color. The tile on the right was fired to cone 6 (a higher temperature) and is a semi-glossy and semi-translucent light green.
Public
Pottery by Osa

Right now, I'm working on an article that shares tips about making terra sigillata (a refined decorating slip) from #wildclay, which builds off of some older writing I've done. Here is a blog post from last year about finding and foraging clay in nature.

potterybyosa.com/blogs/clay-pe

Osa AtoeFinding Clay in NatureFlorida ceramic artist marvels at the varieties of wild clay she finds in natural settings.
#clay#pottery#ceramics
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Pottery by Osa

Visited the clay pit on our way back home and collected some #wildclay samples I hope to use on my #pottery. #Florida was still underwater when most of the rest of what we call the United States was well above sea level. Our soil is young and sandy, especially in the southern part of the state. It’s harder to find #clay here, but you still can. I’m grateful to be able to enjoy this stunning piece of land between the last time it was underwater and the next time it becomes submerged again.

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Pottery by Osa

I did a month-long art residency in Taos, NM last summer. The geography is basically opposite of Florida—mountainous and full of clay—and I was extremely inspired by the indigenous clay cultures there.

I collected so many different colors and qualities of clay while in New Mexico and have tested them one by one, incorporating many of them into my work. This green clay that I used to decorate this bowl is from Abiquiu.

A panoramic view of a small clay outcropping showing green and gray clays. Rocks, shrubs and clear blue sky above.
Rounded test tile with a semi-translucent earthy green glaze next to a small pile of light green unprocessed clay. I processed the clay into terra sigillata and at cone 5 (over 2100°F), it becomes a glossy glaze.
Bottom side of a bowl, showing a radial pattern surrounding the foot ring, with earthy green, brown and light aqua geometric patterning.
#southwest#pottery#clay
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Pottery by Osa

We have so much to learn from the ways #plants adapt to their environment. I love making pots that pour, and the super long spout on this plant watering can was a fun challenge. Water is life, and throughout history, people have made beautiful vessels to contain it.

The pot is decorated with #wildclay collected in Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama and Lake Ontario. I turn the clays into decorating slips called terra sigillata that I paint onto the surface.

A ceramic watering can with a long spout, painted in earth tone colors with symmetrical geometric line and dot patterns, held by a brown hand in front of tropical foliage.
Public
Pottery by Osa

2024 was the year I finally started turning all of my little samples of wild clay into terra sigillata. Each of these vases was painted with different types of clay that I collected from all over the country—shades of tan, yellow, brick red and brown. These pieces express my gratitude to God, the land and the ancestors.

Four pottery vases, all intricately decorated with geometric patterns. The largest one to the left sits on its side so that the striking aqua color interior is visible. All of the vases are painted with clay earth tones.
#pottery#ceramics#africanart
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