Wild Clay 2021
In 2021 I learned how to locate, harvest, process, test, and use wild clays. Processing local clay into something usable is fairly easy if time consuming. It’s testing for shrinkage and absorption and carbon coring that can be frustrating. I sourced iron-rich wild red clay from my parent's yard, dried, processed by sifting and slaking, and then set it to dry to a usable consistency in a canvas box. I then did a series of tests to measure clay shrinkage, body strength, and absorption once fully reduction fired. This particular clay had about a 12% shrinkage rate, maintained it's form through firing, vitrified correctly, and passed it's water absorption test of retaining 1% increase in moisture after a 24-hour soak. After these tests I threw a series of bowls with added stoneware percentages and tested the studio's Shino glaze, which was compatible. I look forward to more wild clay experimentations.
Wild Clay Test Bowls
Wild Clay Test Bowls, Stacked
100% Wild Clay
80% Wild Clay, 20% Gray Stoneware
70% Wild Clay, 30% Gray Stoneware
50% Wild Clay, 50% Gray Stoneware
50% Wild Clay, 50% White Stoneware
White Stoneware, Wild Clay Hints
Sourcing the clay.
Picking out clay-heavy soil to dry.
Dried clay-heavy soil.
Processing dried clay-heavy soil to remove stone, debris, and organic matter.
Slaking the processed soil for 48 hours.
Clay after straining off the water and left over organic matter.
Test tiles for form and shrinkage. One with 10cm marked out.
Two successful sets of test tiles. Orange is 04 oxidation fired once, rusty brown is 04 oxidation and reduction fired to cone 6/soft 7.
No carbon trapping.
Finished samples, from raw clay to reduction fired.
Measuring out bowl samples.
Prepared percentages.
100% raw wild clay bowl.
All test bowls.
Ready for oxidation firing.
First firing results.
Shino glaze applied to all test bowls.