For fourteen years, Center volunteer and avid hiker, Esther
Greenfield, has been finding and drawing historic aspen carvings, recording
them in a journal during her outings. Her friend and neighbor, ceramicist Mary
Kay Harrell, approached Esther two months ago asking if she would like to
collaborate on a new pottery project.
Mary Kay uses special
Raku clay that can withstand extreme changes in temperature. After creating the pot, while the clay is at the right state of
dryness, between wet and dry, called leather-hard clay, Esther chooses an arborglyph from
her journal to carve on the pot.
After the pots have
dried thoroughly, up to a week, they are bisque fired
so that they can be handled without breaking. It is at this stage that the
glazing is done. The white crackle glaze is applied with a brush, using three coats
to get the right thickness and coverage. The pots are then placed into the cold
kiln, the door is shut tight, and the burners are lit, one by one, letting the
temperature rise gradually to about 1700 degrees.
When the pots are
smooth, shiny and glistening, the kiln is turned off letting the temperature
drop slightly. Only when they are completely
cooled can they be taken out to reveal the results.
“We hope for the best,” says Esther, “you never know how they are going to turn out.”
Each one is unique and
different depending on the glaze application, and the action of the firing and the
cooling process, trying to achieve the "crackle effect" that is
associated with Raku pottery.
Furthermore, Esther explains why this pottery is more than
just pots. They have stories to tell. "This collection of hand-made pottery tells a
story of those long-ago days of herders and cowboys who left their messages in
the trees. Each pot is absolutely unique and each has carvings that reflect
messages from one man to another, love and longing in the woods, wild things in
the woods, poignant ‘remember me’ messages, brands and boundary markers. Many
are quite old, and sadly, many will never be seen again as the trees, with
their messages, are now gone."
These pots are selling quickly, even before the price tags can be placed.
To purchase these unique ceramics, please visit Dietz’s Market, the Durango
Arts Center or the San Juan Mountains Association bookstore at the Public Lands
Center.
