The process that I use evolves some every year.  What remains constant in my proceess is using our wood fired kiln to fire my work,  using materials that are close to us,  digging clay, using recycled materals and working with the clay as we dig it.  Right now we 3 claybodies in the shop.  First and formost, a very white kaolin from back home in North Dakota, from my parents land.  The second is from 4 miles from our house,  which is very black clay, similar to a bentonite.  Third, a protokaolin, which is the same clay a good friend and I made firebricks out of. 

My process involves these 3 claybodies, slips made from the clay, a handful of glazes and wood firing the work.  I want the clay to speak, therefore I usually  don't glaze my work.  I studied with a mentor who made functional work with an emphasis in the tea ceremony, karatsu, nanban style work.  This also is my path. 

This pieces is make of Spring Creek clay dug from where I grew up, North Dakota. It is a very white clay, especially in oxidation. When I wood fire it the clay blushes with many color tones. I have a number of pieces that are faceted.This past year I have been working on changing the path of my forms. Faceting my pieces has complimented the clay I dig. By using this technique it reveals subtle nuances within the clay that perhaps wouldn't have been see without cutting the surface clay away. All of the faceted work is trying to grasp the ideas of comfort, openness, fickleness, strength and unexpected beauty. The process I use digging clay, incorporating it with faceting my work reveals flaws, beauty and is true to the clay itself, unglazed and raw interacting with the fire in the kiln. The clay has a nice palette in an atmospheric firing. Some blue, gray, orange, yellow and black colors depending where they were loaded in the kiln. The pieces are unglazed with the exception of natural ash glazing from the firing process. They are fired for 7 days when we fire all 3 chambers of the kiln. We used these at home all the time.
 

What is unique to me about these clays  is it defines the region from where they were dug. The clay is minimally processed which I find very appealing.  I also fire between cone 6 and cone 10. any of the clay we dig has nice color from the firing and reduction cooling process. Most of the pottery in the first chamber was buried in charcoal for 3 days of the firing. The pieces in similar area in the chamber has great body color. My hope is to continue to approach the results and process associated with the Nanban style. The pieces like many of my other work is unglazed to allow the clay to speak.