The Bowls
Each of my pieces is one of a kind and fired in a gas kiln, within a saggar. The process is labor intensive. Made from white earthenware clay, the form is made on the potter's wheel. After it has dried to a leather hard consistency, it is polished with a smooth stone. The surface will eventually become smooth and shiny. After the clay dries completely, I apply several thin coats of Terra Sigillata and polish in between each coat. Terra Sigillata is a fine clay slip that is applied with a brush leaving behind a white surface. The piece is then fired in an electric kiln to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. After cooling, it is packed into a saggar. A saggar is an enclosed clay container in which my piece and combustible material will be set into. Combustible material such as salt marsh hay, seaweed, corn husks and sawdust are soaked in a solution of iron, cobalt, copper or yellow ochre oxides.
These combustibles and copper wire are wrapped around the piece and placed in the saggar, covered and fired in a gas kiln. The fire with the help of salt and combustibles will dance upon the surface and leave beautiful marks. These colours and marks are permanently imbedded onto the surface. However oils and acids should not make contact with the surface, so please be careful with your original saggar piece.
The Covered Dishes
Each covered box and bowl is a "one of a kind" work of art. It is made on the potter's wheel, trimmed and dried. After being sanded, it is hand burnished to a shiny surface with a smooth stone. Several layers of a find clay slip called terra sigillata are applied and polished again with a soft cloth. The piece is then fired to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. After cooling, the form is broken into several pieces, and each piece is packed into individual saggars. A saggar is an enclosed clay container packed with combustible material such as sawdust, salt marsh hay and seaweed, which have been soaked in solutions of iron copper or yellow ochre oxides. These combustibles with copper wire, tape and string are wrapped around the pieces and fired in a gas kiln. The fire, salt and combustibles all dance on the surface of the pieces, leaving distinctive marks. After cooling, the pieces are reassembled and glued together, yielding a beautiful melding of patterns, designs, textures and colours.
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