For much of 2025 I worked with  porcelain and some North Dakota Clay (literally dug from the ground in Western North Dakota by Don Miller and Curt Wessman, And, by the way, it's quite a process to get that native clay ready for working with and firing...a labor of love, believe me...). ​

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But after working with it for about a year, I have finished up the ND clay, and at the end of June, the porcelain was gone too. I worked with that clay for about a year also. Then it was back to high fire white stoneware and  another commercial stoneware.

 

Since I mostly do coil work,  (although the plates here are slabs), hand building--the going is slow. And also the firing of the cone 9/10 gas reduction kiln happens less often than cone 6 oxidation.-- it is a practice in patience, which I guess is a good thing. 

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When I don't have my hands in clay, I also spend a bit of time working on watercolor painting, which I truly love. Painting on clay is so different from watercolor on paper...both  good practices, and I'd say time well spent. (of course, the house is sadly neglected and a mess...but oh well...)

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Life is good!

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I have unloaded the last kilns for the cone 6 fired pieces as seen here. A few days ago I helped load the last (for me) cone 9/10 gas reduction kiln and it's been fired and soon to be unloaded. It will be my last kiln unloading, as I am giving up my clay work. It has been a joyful journey, and although I will miss it very much, I will always treasure the memories of the making, the firing, the clay kinships established. It's all still good. :)

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The last kiln is now unloaded and the last 11 pieces posted here are from that cone 9/10 gas reduction kiln. As I ended my clay making, I returned to build the figurines and remembered that those were the pieces I most enjoyed making...the women all part of a story in a way.

 

And even though the clay creating has ended, I will still be in the clay world for a bit as I have pieces still in an exhibtion for December with 2 others in an exhibition for February/March. I will also be submitting pieces to art shows for March and June...and with some pieces at Vintage Greens Garden and Floral. And in the meantime and going forward, I'll be painting, collaging, and textiling--maybe printing...

 

Happy New Year Everyone!