The Handcrafting Process
I craft all my pieces by hand. No machinery is used!! I start by cutting a slice of wet clay from a 20-pound block, and then, using a rolling pin, I roll it into a thin sheet. Once the thickness of the sheet is right I cut the sheet into the shape of the plate, bowl, or coaster, and I let the clay dry for a few hours.
When I make a plate I fold and pinch the sheet of clay until it looks right. When I make a bowl I press the sheet of clay against a home made plaster mold, and bend the edge of the sheet to form the rim.
I slowly dry the formed pieces, and during the first four-five days I adjust the shape by gently bending the sheets to correct any warping. Once the pieces are dry I smoothen the edges with a scrubber sponge, and heat the pieces to 2,000 Fahrenheit in the kiln for several hours. This "bisque" firing turns the fragile dry clay into sturdy ceramic.
Next comes the glazing when the colorful decoration is placed onto the fired bisque. It takes several rounds of brushing during the course of two or three days to finalize the decoration. Then the decorated piece is fired again to melt the glass component of the glaze noto the surface of the ceramic base. I have to wait another day for the kiln to cool down, so I can open it to find out how the pieces look. Every glaze firing gives a slightly different result, because the molten glaze can flow and spread differently, or mix differently with the surrounding glazes.
BEACHFRONT POTTERY