I took a Printmaking on Clay class this summer at Lillstreet Art Center. For a portion of the time I was working in porcelain with a set of vintage stamps from the 1940's. The whole goal of my project was to make some simple pendants for a show in August while embracing the wabi sabi of the process... letting things be imperfect. As a metalsmith and a designer, much of what I do needs to be precise. Clay does not have to speak this language. It is inherently malleable and is best when you let the material influence you. Give up the control.
I have spent stolen moments this fall at the studio experimenting with ways to finish the discs. Wiped on glaze or stain? Top coat of clear glaze or left raw? There is an honest beauty to porcelain left unglazed. After the final firing in the kiln there is almost a translucence to the clay. They started off white with black settled into the recessed areas of the piece. Then the underglaze was cracked open... and the path was diverted. I find that I really like the textured, murky, quality in some of these new pieces.
I think it reflects where I am at in my life right now. Not in "a place for everything, everything in it's place" state of existence. Reflecting on how all of the pieces fit together and what experiences and events in my life have made me who I am today. Apparently, it is not all that crisp and clear.
