LOCAL CLAY VASES

 

Working with the wild local clays of the place I am living on is one of the pivotal practices of my making and one I devote a good deal of time learning. The richness, beauty and diversity of Italian clay soils make each piece quite unique. It is unlikely that a batch of clay gathered 50 meter away from another will give the same results. These vases gather inspiration from the shape of the old ceramic traditions of Northern Italy (Celtic, Etruscan and Ligurian pottery) . They are coated with a tick slip of wild clay blends that I gather and clean, all by hand. Some of the clays I am currently working with come from Liguria, others from the Appennini mountains. 

The weathered cracked look is an intended result that was achieved by working diligently with specific blends of local wild  clays.