Another day of indulgence… I haven’t let myself go creatively for such a long time, it feels really good! Whilst having fun with pastels, I start thinking about an archaeology book I read over the Xmas break. It talked about how in this area, crushed shell was used as a temper in clay and I decide I’d like to give it a go. I have some shells lying around the studio so start crushing them to a powder using a hammer. I add the shell to the clay in variable amounts to see if the size of the shell makes a difference to the final result (I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing!). I also decide to burn the stinky dried sea weed that I gathered last year – easier said than done – it’s impossible to ignite with a lighter. I resort to using a blow torch to form the ash which I crush into a fine powder and apply to some test bowls. Blimey, what a productive day!
