My Journey with Clay

Little did I know that my first one-woman show to exhibit my portraits & paintings at the Cramer Center for the Arts in Richmond, VA would be the beginning of my journey with clay that will last; I believe for the rest of my life.    Upon entering the gallery, I immediately noticed and closed examined a wall  decorated with ceramic tiles, which were handmade by the elementary  school children from the Stewar d School.  Each child had incised their own unique artwork into a tile of clay.  Although a painter,  I could hear the clay calling me to explore its' possibilities for perhaps a new surface and/or texture for my paintings.    This call to explore took me on fruitful internet searches for information about how to work with clay.  One search lead to another and before I knew it I was enrolled in college to learn a new craft.   My journey started in 2007 when I purchased my first bag of clay and still continues.  I am now ready for a kiln as soon as I can find a place for it.  I have my wheel in my apartment, but I can't convince my landlord that I won't burn down the building (ha, ha).   I expect by this coming Summer '09 to have a 1027 skutt kiln.  At school I am studying the chemistry of glaze making and adjusting   glaze recipes for compatiblility with the clay bodies I work with.    I throw constantly on the wheel still exploring functional forms (teapots, plates, bowls, mugs, etc.) .     Eventually I want to focus on sculpture and continue painting.