My own little land
The essay(s) – I am always looking for the “perfect land”. I have tested dozens of them. Sometimes it's when turning it that it doesn't suit me, sometimes it's the color that comes out after cooking that I don't like, sometimes it's the final result which has some flaws that doesn't convince me. And this is only the beginning... I have already spent a few hours there and I will spend many more... Yet what could sometimes be considered a waste of time or money - especially when a bought and tested land does not suit me - in the end never is! On the contrary... I always take the time to note why a land was not good. Because who knows, on another test or a slightly special order, I might reconsider its usefulness. In short, never say never!
The fetish - After having worked with a certain number of earths of different texture, changing color, sometimes with a lot of very clay (in the jargon, we speak of Kaolin), sometimes less, my current fetish or at least the one that I use the more often it is a pyritic earth. To help you see more clearly with this term that you are probably not used to coming across regularly, take a look at my Angela Teapots. Do you see this little speckled effect? It appears after cooking at high temperatures, sometimes reaching a temperature of 1260°! Be careful in the oven!
The timeless - Of the different lands that I work, there is one that comes back often and is more easily tamed. It is therefore the basis of several of my creations, it is a red sandstone clay from Burgundy (for the Burgundian that I am, this cannot be invented...), perfect to turn, it has already inspired the Cups Reine Margot, carafes, candlesticks, etc. Its little sister, in white stoneware, is just as convincing and allows me, among other things, to create the GRETA cup, the GIGI vase or the very elegant QUEEN ML cup. They are my daily acolytes even if you will have understood, the terra cotta effect of the first gives it a little head start over the second!
The second life - As long as the earth is not cooked, I can recycle it. I am very attached to the idea of not “wasting”. Why throw away material when I know that I can reuse it, rework it, give it a second life in some way. Especially since my recipe for recycling well, once mastered, only requires a little time and few ingredients! In two or three words, you have to break up the failed parts, group the waste together and spread it out on a plasterboard. Well and we have to add to that some manipulations, as you can imagine. But ultimately it's no more complicated than making good compost for example!
The mysterious - My mysterious land at the moment (if you've already read my newsletter you may have guessed it)... is porcelain. Unlike more "classic" clays... it crumbles, breaks, is difficult to turn. She is fragile, not very docile, less easy to tame. And yet, it's my current favorite, probably because it intrigues me. You know a bit as if a new colleague arrived in your office and you didn't yet know much about her but you were eager to discover much more!...
And for those who are interested... my favorite supplier in this area:www.ceradel.fr
And for those who are interested... my favorite supplier in this area:www.ceradel.fr