Some areas are blessed with a great deal of natural clay. When using natural clay, a temper is needed to help the clay bind and prevent it from cracking when fired. Clays have varying degrees of sand, so care should be taken when using sand as the temper. A great temper is dried and ground egg shells. In the wild, these need to be gathered in spring when the chicks hatch.
Freshly molded pottery. Local clay with shell temper. Ways of the Earth.
Slow drying by the fire. Ways of the Earth.
Firing- adding wood to get the clay red hot. They must be kept red hot for hours so the clay is completely fired. Once cooled, flick the pot and it should and a ring to the sound. If it’s more of a thunk, it was not fired either hot or long enough. Ways of the Earth.
Cooled over night- left in, as the fire dies, to cool slowly. Cooling too quickly creates cracking. Ways of the Earth.
A few finished pieces- bowl, beads, ladle, cup, strainer, and oil lamp.