Once the clay is ready to use, I create my pottery in 6 key steps. I throw, decorate and trim it; then I fire, glaze and fire again. Before using the clay on the wheel air bubbles need to be removed and the moisture evened out. After each piece is thrown on the wheel it is left out to dry some. Then I decorate the work. This is what makes my pottery unique. The decoration is done with one or more tools, my stamps, that I have made from the same clay that I use to make the pottery. The stamps are rolled or pressed into the work. Often, I will use a collection of them to create a landscape or picture.
When a piece is about halfway dry and stiff, I trim any extra clay off the bottom. Once an entire batch of pottery is dry (making pottery is like making cookies, several dozen at a time are made) it is fired to a low temperature, then glazed and fired to a much higher temperature. Each batch of pottery is between 200 – 400 pieces and will take 8- 10 weeks to complete. This is what makes each piece a one of a kind. When the pottery is finished all of it is both food safe and dishwasher safe.
Thank you for coming to my site.
Marianne Brown, The Mud Lady