I think this is my favorite #WheelThrowing video of all time. “Make that statement and get out.” #pottery #HowTo #ceramics #BlairMeerfeld

After I’ve tested my new #WildClay samples on tiles, the next step is to try them on small items to see how they behave. It’s common to get a satisfactory result on a test tile but then have problems when applying that same material to an actual pot. For instance, the dark brown clay (inside the leaf shapes) came out perfectly smooth on the tile but flakes slightly when applied to textured areas of the pot. Once I’m satisfied with the results on a cup, I can move to application on larger pieces.

I have so many thoughts on #deminimis Etsy, EBay, Amazon, Temu, SHEIN, small handmade businesses, etc. None of my views are black and white and I can’t fit them in the allotted word count and I don’t feel like making a giant thread about it either. I guess what would be most helpful at this moment is to gather small #handmade sellers into a global support group to share ideas on how to survive this disruption. I wonder if @handmade.social admin :maker: could organize something like this.

Nabta Playa: The world’s first astronomical site was built in Africa and is older than Stonehenge This 7,000-year-old stone circle tracked the summer solstice and the arrival of the annual monsoon season. It's also the oldest known astronomical site on Earth.

Astronomy Magazine

Nabta Playa: The world's first astronomical site was built in Africa

This 7,000-year-old stone circle tracked the summer solstice and the arrival of the annual monsoon season. It's also the oldest known astronom...

#astronomy #archaeology #Egypt #Africa

Earthen Rainbow 🌈 These are the results from my last terra sig test run—clays collected from hotel parking lots, construction sites, river banks and more. The common soil under our feet contains infinite possibilities that we will probably never exhaust and that most of us will never even begin to explore. We haven’t given the Earth proper attention, appreciation or care yet people want to explore and colonize Mars. #clay #WildClay #nature #pottery #Earth

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.