Because I love to create with my hands, sculpting with clay provides me with a fun, natural outlet for artistic expression. For years, I used polymer or air-dry clay, but when the pace of our family life finally slowed, I purchased some real clay, formed a small object and fired it in a tiny annealing kiln that I found in an old shop building. After firing, I gave my first clay creation the 'tone' test by rapping it lightly with a spoon. All my former materials could produce with the tone test was a clunk or a thud. I was hooked forever when a nice rich orchestral tone rang out from my first real clay creation. With the rich tone ringing in my ears, I rushed out and purchased pottery equipment, demonstration videos and books. I wanted to learn. A whole new world opened itself to me and continues to evolve every time I place my hands on clay. The feeling of clay submitting to the movement of my hands, allowing it to be folded and molded, stretched, and squished is intriguing. I am addicted to this new world.

With so many different and wonderful kinds of clay and even more types of surface decorations, it is difficult to settle into one particular area of the art. And, because of my late start in the world of clay, I feel an urgency to learn as much and as fast as I can and am interested in several different phases of clay.

Though I repeat forms and surfaces that I adore, my creations are one of a kind. My pieces are thrown, sculpted, hand built or some combination of all three. The venture through the world of clay is ever changing. Amazing new directions reveal themselves along the path and I find myself becoming more daring and less inhibited in my handling of clay and its very technical and chemical character.

These three pieces are low fire clay with Terra Sigilatta surface decoration. Terra Sig fascinates me with its satiny finish without the use of glazes. Because a lot of the enjoyment of clay creations comes from the tactile aspect, Terra Sig is especially appealing with its smooth and silky surface. I enjoy doing multiple firings with brushed-on oxide washes to produce a burled wood likeness. Like my father, the furniture maker, wood is dear to me.

The above pot was thrown from the rich red earth from the lawn of my son's home in Kentucky. It took a little formulating to make it plastic enough to throw but was a fun experiment. The finished piece is back in Kentucky, adorning the mantle of his fireplace.

Another favorite is mid-fire dark bodied stoneware and the textures of Kaki glazes washed with oxides. The combination of the glazes and the kiln produces limitless visual designs and textures.

Potters learn early that the kiln has a mind of its own and sometimes it's more creative than others. I was a delighted potter when I opened the kiln to find the platter on the right. The texture is deceiving because the depth of it is limited to visual. Running a hand across the surface will find it perfectly smooth, an optical illusion.  Because of the kiln's unexpected contributions, it's impossible to predict the exact pattern of a glaze as the materials move and mix at the will of the heat.

These little Froggies fit in with my whimsy theme and are sculpted hollow with dark or speckled mid-fire stoneware. My first frogs were whistles but I have since discontinued the whistles because they compromise the form of the frogs to a degree. The frogs' skin is a lichen glaze that I've tested and formulated for more than a year to get it to break on the surface without leaving bare spots, giving the warty looking skin I'm wishing to achieve. The last one in this series is still in his wet stage before any firings. I added him because I love how "alive" the clay looks before it has dried. His name is Bartholomew; he's a cutie with an attitude.

You can Email me at elizabeth01@alltel.net

More of my creations are displayed in albums for your viewing at

http://photos.yahoo.com/myhandsinclay

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