03 Jan Earthenware Pottery
Shaping Earth & Fire: Earthenware Pottery
Earthenware is a dialogue with the elements; listening to and from the ways of fire, the personality of clays, and the alchemy of color and form. When we shape wild clays, made of minerals and iron like us of bones and blood, our intentions are magnified and fortified.
We will create an earth oven to fire our pottery. Pit firing clay vessels is practiced by many cultures around the world, each with rich, pottery traditions, cuisines and histories. This simple method is the oldest form of pottery making, but with the prevalence of modern technological methods and commercial clay companies, the inherent connection between ceramics and the land has become abstracted. The very use of foraged clays can be a profoundly enriching way to build relationship with the places we live.
At the beginning of the weekend, we will gather to create and decorate vessels made of wild clay with the intention of connecting more deeply with the body of the earth. On the morning of the last day, we will gather to light and feed a fire, tending and dancing our delicate pieces into the center to be transformed.
Hosanna White will be sharing Shaping Earth & Fire: Earthenware Pottery
