clay: autoceramicist

Last week I started an application for admission to the community college for an A.A. in studio art. I would love to eventually earn a B.F.A. in ceramics. If you know what an autodidact is, then I'm an autoceramicist in that I'm teaching myself ceramics though I have been enrolled in a couple of classes at community colleges and community studios. In the meantime, I practice the making and watch Great Pottery Throw Down. On Saturday en route to a family Easter brunch, I stopped at Clay People in Richmond. How could I not love this store right away when they've shelves with giveaways?

 

Unfortunately the bottles of slip were almost empty, but I did come away with these three pint bottles of glaze. I'm wondering if the cream matte will look good for plates. Once inside I took lots of pics of glazes to message to Meral....

    

And check out all the mason stains...yes clay is the way to my happy place.

Sigh. So many glazes, so little time. I think once I get rid of all my cloth, it's just gonna be a personal life of making clay.

 

I ended up buying the Dixon red clay with grog (I love its texture)for building my autobiographical bottle and a bag too of the Black Mountain for making Cone 10 plates. It fires to two different colors: the first is fired in oxidation and the second in reduction.  I looked longingly at this clay body called Death Valley.

I suppose I could spend a summer forming a bunch of these earthy plates and fire them in the winter.

  

And after a year of not seeing my brother, I got to re-connect and brought home leftover ham for this Easter dinner, a nostalgic taste of my childhood ham and tomato sandwiches.

I suppose I'm a bit bored with cooking and haven't been inspired in the kitchen and am back to cooking the same things over and over again, so that my brain space can be devoted to clay and cloth. This week's chicken dish will be Karaage. Stay tuned.