Just got back from a wedding in Ontario. There was a construction site near the place we were staying and I couldn’t resist. This is my first sample of Canadian clay—not that national borders are relevant when considering geological time span. That’s actually one of the reasons I like learning about clay formation—it allows me to imagine a time when all of these f’d up human constructs didn’t exist. #clay #WildClay Also: Go #CUPE! (We saw a union rally at the airport.) 🍁

Lamps!💡 I got a commission for a batch of lamps a couple of years ago but they wanted very plain glaze, so not much room for expression. This is my first time making lamps and decorating them my way. They’re a special order for a collector in Texas. She sent me photos of past pots I’ve made to give me an idea of how she wanted each one to look. I hope she’s satisfied with the end result. #pottery #cermics #FunctionalPottery #beautility

Vintage "Ceramics Monthly" magazine (February 1968). "The Traditional Pottery of Nigeria" and other articles. Free PDF:

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February 1968

#pottery #Nigeria #ceramics #magazines #vintage #art #Africa

Here's one of two large terracotta coil pots I fired over the weekend, featuring the pearly, crackled surface I get when I turn #clay I collected from Ocala National Forest into terra sigillata. I'm making these pieces to be shown at upcoming exhibitions in #Florida, hoping to pique others' curiosity about this unique peninsula of limestone & sand that we live on. That curiosity can lead to greater connection with the Earth, something that many of have lost along the way:

Pottery by Osa

Fractured, Fragmented and Fragile

"The cracks are unpredictable but beautiful, like a dried lake bed or elephant skin. They’ve come to feel like a map of this place: a visual echo...

I’m working on building a digital portfolio of past and current work on my website. I made this pitcher in 2021 using a glaze that I’ve had to retire because of insurmountable technical difficulties. (I did a whole podcast on it for any ceramic material nerds out there: ) I loved the fluidity of this surface which aligned so well with the function of a pouring pot and the blue waters of the Florida Gulf Coast. I’m curious who ended up with this piece of #pottery.

I formed this mug on the wheel and waited for it to dry to the point where it’s no longer tacky, but still soft and flexible. This is the perfect time to apply stamped texture! I make roulette stamps by carving into a coil of clay. I roll the stamp from bottom to top, which softens the form and gives the rim a bit of undulation. This adds a subtle layer of detail and gesture over which I will add my carved geometric patterning. I just wanted to show this phase because I really love it. #pottery

I made my first #facejug in 2019. I made a few at the time, left it for a while and now I’m returning to the idea. I have no training in sculpture so I feel like a beginner all over again when I make these. One thing that gives me courage to attempt them is that original face jugs from the US South are raw, folky and imperfect. But I’m also drawing inspiration from the Ife terracotta heads from #Nigeria which are incredibly skillful and naturalistic. Mine fall somewhere in between. #pottery

I uploaded a five minute unedited video of me coil building a pot, just as a test since I’m new to PeerTube. The goal is to move toward edited videos that show more of the process and better video angels that help students learn the technique.

MakerTube

Coil Building Pottery with Micaceous Clay

First video upload test. Coil building a round-bottom pot with micaceous clay. https://mastodon.social/@potterybyosa www.potterybyosa.com

#PeerTube #MakertTube #pottery #handbuilding #howto #ceramics

London-based potter Bisila Noha recently completed a residency that included learning from Yoruba women potters in #nigeria She created this beautiful photo and video document of her time there:

Bisila Noha

Obinrin àmó — Bisila Noha

Obinrin àmó (clay woman in Yoruba) is a multi-sensorial archive of my time at the pottery community in Iganran (Yorubaland), as part of my reside...

#pottery #clay #ceramics

Pottery is where I maintain my idealism and make it manifest through material, form and color. It’s where I can bring together the wisdom of the past and present to create something harmonious and wholesome. I do with pottery what I wish we could do on the grandest scale. I look at this pot and it just glows so warmly, radiating love, gratitude, peace and alignment. It’s tangible evidence that these things are here with us all of the time even when the world seems like the darkest void.