Exploring local ceramic materials in the Madrean Sky Islands region

This photo may look a bit suspicious, like I just dug a deep hole in my yard that resembles a grave.

Fear not! In fact we were having some plumbing work done, so I did not dig this hole, I merely swooped in to see what kinds of newly exposed rocks I could find and gather. This is what I call scavenging for raw ceramic materials. If I can avoid the digging part, I will.

In my hand are chunks of granite that have eroded from nearby mountains, transported over millions of years to the valley, slowly coated with a crust of calcium carbonate (caliche) deposited over the past several thousand years. When I look at these rocks I see their ceramic glaze potential. They contain quartz, feldspar, and calcium carbonate plus other minerals such as iron oxide or titanium dioxide in various proportions.

I can obtain the precise chemical composition by sending them to a lab for testing, if I plan on using them for functional pottery.

Ceramic materials are everywhere!

I am writing this not as an expert in all things ceramic materials. I am a seeker of these materials in my particular landscapes and as a practitioner of testing them, then beginning to develop clay and glaze recipes using a select few on a sustainable, small scale in my small studio. I have a strong inner drive to merge my interests in clay/glaze chemistry and geology with my experience as a professional ceramicist and avid hiker.

Perhaps this line of inquiry is something that interests you too, either simply out of curiosity or as a fellow potter? I’d love to connect with more folks who are also exploring a similar path in their landscapes.

Over the years I have studied local USGS maps, read papers about regional geology, hiked to nearby spots in search of specific minerals/rocks, spoken with potters who work with raw materials, read books and attended workshops, visited known local clay deposits, etc, all so I can identify and begin to work with raw materials in my landscapes. I created a system of testing small samples that works for my purposes of gathering data about rock types and how they respond to firing in a kiln. I have taken clay and glaze chemistry courses and am confident in my ability to develop durable recipes incorporating scavenged clay, rocks, and minerals. I source these materials from my own yard, other peoples’ yards, along trails and roads, combining them with commercially available ceramic materials to meet my goals. My confidence grows with each round of tests and from obtaining reliable results over time.

Essential glaze ingredients scavenged from nearby landscapes: (l to r) feldspar, quartz, caliche.

I consider this a journey that has led me into somewhat uncomfortable territory. My inner artist/scientist/child is full of enthusiasm, curiosity, clarity of direction into the unknown—while my inner boss/business owner is kinda freaking out as a portion of my energy is directed away from the production pottery business I have cultivated for over 13 years.

This is an ongoing adventure, a side quest that I think is complementary to my work making nature and geologically inspired functional pottery.

I’d like to bring you along with me as I pursue this adventure —not to tell anyone how it should be done or why anyone should feel compelled do this— but to show you how I am cobbling together my own ways of incorporating the ancient pottery practice of gathering raw materials nearby to create ceramic pieces that represent a very particular location on earth.

A view from a recent hike along a ridge on Mt Lemmon, a Madrean Sky Island. This sky island encompasses multiple biomes, from Sonoran Desert at the base to Ponderosa Pine forest at the top.

My overall goal is to make work that embodies a Madrean Sky Island’s genius loci, or spirit of this distinctly beautiful place. My work has always been about processing my direct experiences of awe and connection to landscapes, insects, plants—Nature. I can’t think of a better way to do this than making ceramic work that not only resembles my landscapes visually but also tangibly incorporates pieces of it fired into the work. I want you to literally hold a bit of my landscape when you hold a piece I have made, knowing it’s food safe and durable. I’m still in the process of developing this very personal way of working. It excites me.

Topics I might discuss in future posts may include: site specific glazes I am developing, what it means (to me) to gather materials responsibly, workshops that have taught me new things, perhaps I can take you on a virtual (or actual) hike with me to explore the rocks I see—then follow up with tests of those rocks and give glimpses into my process, the trial and error, etc.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if you’re doing something similar in your part of the world!