Why Clay?

As an artist I have tried many different mediums, some I definitely enjoyed and some that were really not for me. Something about clay has always been very special to me. I’m much more a sculptor than I am a drawer, the need to manipulate a medium with my hands is very real and drawing tends to frustrate me for that reason. I’m a very tactile person, and have been drawn to clay since I first tried it. I think there’s something sensual and personal about clay. Working with clay is very much a conversation between you and the material. Especially when working on the wheel, the movement of the wheel is naturally working against you, and the clay responds to every touch. You have to be stern with clay and understand how to manipulate it, or it will overpower you. This is why throwing on the wheel deters a lot of people from ceramics. It’s definitely challenging to learn how to make the clay do what you want. But once you do, it’s so so rewarding. One of the things I love so much about clay is that it’s such a simple element, yet you can make virtually anything with it. It’s much easier for me to think in a 3-dimensional way, even if I have an idea for a piece it’s hard for me to really grasp what it is I want to make until I start to make it. Sketching ideas for ceramics can only get you so far, before you realize you’re just drawing a bunch of circles and it’s hard to get those ideas down in 2d. This is where sculpting small ideas out of clay can really be a beneficial step in the process. The concept of making art out of earth is very beautiful to me. As a tactile person, the feeling of clay against my hands is very warm and intimate. It becomes very much a relationship between you and the medium. Each clay body is so unique in so many ways, and for this reason I’ve always felt they all have such a different personality. Learning how to work with each one is a matter of becoming familiar with its unique properties. For example, porcelain is known for being very elastic and will easily collapse while throwing if you’re not paying attention or being careful enough. It‘s very fragile and prone to cracking in its drying stages. It is also known for its ability to produce work that is extremely thin, and can even create pieces so thin you can see light through them. Porcelain is very beautiful when used correctly and produces work that cannot be replicated with other clay bodies. And for these reasons I’ve always felt porcelain is very delicate and touchy. On the other hand, black mountain clay is very earthy and gritty and has quite a push back to it. It produces a deep dark clay body that is very sensual and can be used with certain glazes in a very unique way. It is very sturdy and has qualities that I would consider strong. This is one of the things that makes ceramics so interesting to me, the amount of different clays and glazes is so expansive there’s truly no way to ever get bored of it. There is always something new to experiment with. Working with clay and throwing on the wheel is very special and even meditative to me. It’s always felt that since I started working with clay there was no going back, I knew it was meant for me.