I have been testing new clay and think I have finally found a clay I can use.  Well maybe... ,maybe not.... as I was testing with another potter and her bag is full of hard bits and pieces of who knows what.  I have been across international borders looking for clay and have really had a difficult time.  So I will call the company in the morning and find out what is up and why there were grumblies in a fresh bag of clay.   My biggest pet peeve and why I have left a few companies..... you pay for fresh pugged clay.  You weigh it out, wedge it, and begin to throw.  Half way up the pull you hit a stone or chunk of old hard clay, or something that didn’t make it through the ball mill and it ruins the entire pots.  Rip out the chunks and start over.  A bit hard on the wrists and folks I am not getting any younger wedging 10-15 pounds of clay!

 

There are new pots in the kiln and I should be glazing by the weekend.  I have been iChat-ing with Maurice out there in sunny CA. and we both have hit on this functional side of ceramics.   I want to look at the plates and think wonderful thoughts.  So today I spent my day making serving plates.  I love these plates and hope they morph into dinner dishes at some point.  Right now they are very time consuming and I can’t imagine making more than half a dozen or so.  So I continue to roll around dinner place settings in my head and so far nothing is coming together........ it sure is a process...... a long process...

I think food that is served on beautiful dishes elevates the food.  It makes one think something special is happening when the butter arrives on it’s very own dish with a lovely cover .  Where is Paula Dean?????

 

In the meantime Rachael is off to Mali and Burkina Faso for a week or so.  She gets great vacation benefits in the Peace Corp. and I am so happy she is traveling and seeing other parts of Africa!