Did you know clay was formed aeons ago? It is probably one of the oldest forms of art? I often wonder who decided to take a blob of mud, dry it and fire it? Clever human that, whoever they were! Clay is formed from platelets with water in between, this muddy form can be moulded into pretty much anything! When in it’s raw form, it can be recycled, once fired, it is cured and can no longer be reused.
The choices are limitless in this day and age, technology and the ease of online shopping has given the opportunity for anyone to discover this medium. From the lightest of whites to the darkest of blacks, there is a colour to try. Sometimes, one can even add an oxide or a stain or even a pigment into a colour and get a delightful effect!
I personally prefer taking a plain item and decorating it with colour, much like a painter on a canvas however the pull of mixing colours has always been fun. It’s the firing that you have to take into account, the careful art of making sure there are no cracks, no splits when mixing two colours, the simple task of neatening up, quite tricky as you don’t want to smudge. The art of Nerikomi has a stunning effect, another task entirely and a subject for another day.