This special vase has been dedicated to my dear friend and animal lover, Becca.
It is a functional work of art.
 
Creating this piece was about having patient conversations between myself and clay, working together to create something special.
 
This way of creating was the reason I fell in love with clay twenty seven years ago.
 
Process:
Created from earthenware, the piece began with two slabs of clay which were assembled into a cylinder, the piece is then rotated around and formed. It went through several diff shapes before finding what felt right.
It started off with an organic shape, then turned into one resembling that of vertabrae. Still not feeling quite right, time went by until I began to see a form of a bird.
Before the piece becomes completely dry, it is shaped, carved and burnished, giving it a very smooth surface. Feathers, feathers and more feathers were finely carved using several different tools. Each mark created was followed up with a finishing tool. Every line carved was intentionally made. Although, many lines were carved but only the ones decided on were chosen to remain.
*This piece was all about conversations and what felt right.
 
When dry, the piece is bisque fired to its maturing temperature, cone 04. The white areas are then sanded down for a very smooth finish.
A wash of black underglaze is applied and wiped off, only leaving what was absorbed into the clay. A stunning glaze called Mystic Jade is applied to the inside following an application of clear transparent matt glaze.
It then goes through the final firing.
 
This claybody does have some resemblance to that of porcelain.