Almost to a fault, I am overly ambitious and a bit of a wishful thinker. Joe loads his plate up with more food than he can eat, and I loaded up the Jeep with more clay than I could throw. I've been throwing with Loafers Glory, a creamy white clay that is close to porcelain but still a stoneware. Last time I went to Claymakers in Durham, I purchased 100 lbs of Orangestone, a clay I have been admiring for several years. The first day of throwing, I spent several hours with nothing to show for my work. The clay holds water differently than Loafers and although I could get great height in my cylinders, as soon as I tried to shape and form it, the clay would slump back down leaving a very heavy base. Finally, the next day I decided to scale back the size of my attempts and finished with a stout little lidded pot, perfect as a sugar bowl or a place to stash trinkets or candies. He now has a big brother and several rice bowls. The process of changing clays was almost like starting over for me, but I know it will only help refine my skills and flexibility in working with various clay bodies.
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