What is clay? Until recently, I had not thought about it in much detail. As an ecologist, I understand soil, where clay content plays an important role. As a potter, I know how commercial clays vary in type and quality. What I had not fully considered was what clay is made from, or how clay dug straight from the ground differs from the material I throw on the wheel. So I did a little research. Natural clay forms over millions of years as rocks such as granite weather into t

For me, nature has never been just a backdrop. It is wild, intricate, beautiful, and sometimes unsettling, and it shapes both how I see the world and how I create.