Foot Wedging

Fortunately for me, the Clay Petting Zoo that I so loved at the NC Woodfire Conference held at Starworks also went to Penland School of Craft. The zoo’s creator, Josh Copus was co-teaching the other clay class there with Ben Richardson from Tasmania during my sculpture class with Hervé Rousseau and Kevin Lips. At Penland, I learned to follow my feet and sculpture will flow. When I do that, my mind is quiet and happy. I learned that clay that has not been de-aired is something I love, that I can find clay locally, amend it as need be and incorporate it into my work. Thank you to all of my teachers at Penland, especially to Hervé Rousseau for traveling to the United States, Kevin Lips for his enthusiasm and energy! To the teachers and assistants, the fellow students in both classes—and to Josh Copus for the Community Brick, now at home in my kiln shed. Clay seems like a material with entirely new potential to me. Because I got to build with that North Carolina clay, I see (clay) with eyes more open, and carry my relationships with the clay/woodfire community in my heart.