"Earthen Rainbow: Working with Wild Clay Terra Sigillata at Midrange" is an article I wrote describing the experience of learning to notice clay, reconnecting with the land, and how it's inspired my studio practice. It's also a technical guide for other clay artists. I turned the article into a zine to share my experiments and explorations collecting and using wild clay to decorate my pottery and as a way to encourage others to dabble with free, local materials in an accessible way. I share process, recipes and insights, letting you into my studio practice. Lots of photos of clay samples, test tiles, as well as finished pieces utilizing this technique. The zine is available in print or digital (including a printer spread file so that you can print your own zine.)
Excerpt:
"Working with wild clay terra sigillata at midrange temperatures is a way to celebrate and honor the infinite variety [found in nature]. In its raw state, clay can appear in a range of colors – blue, gray, orange, pink, yellow, green – often indicating the presence of iron. When fired at low temperatures, these diverse hues tend to flatten into a common iron red or dark orange. However, firing to midrange temperatures (in my case, cone five) allows some clays to melt, vitrify, and develop unique characteristics, moving beyond that initial phase. While the most common result I’ve achieved is a dark, semi-gloss iron red, I’ve also been able to uncover an incredible variety of tones beyond that. Pushing the firing temperature into the high range would likely cause many of these clays to turn brown, potentially losing the subtle variations I’ve come to appreciate. I haven’t tested this yet, as I primarily work with midrange materials, but the results at cone five have been rich and rewarding, showcasing the depth and diversity of wild clay."
