I start by wedging a porcelaneous clay, then insert torn slices and chunks of black clay here and there. At the wheel, I work the clay until it is carefully centered, before pulling up the walls and opening out the belly. The clay looks a little dark, and messy.

I leave it to dry till the next day, either in a damp box, or covered in plastic (it’s winter now in Canada, and with the heat on, the clay would otherwise dry far too quickly).

The magic comes the next day, when the time comes to trim the piece. As the surface clay peels away, little by little the swirling colour beneath is revealed.

Height: 15 cm; diameter: 15 cm. White stoneware, and black stoneware; fired to cone 6, in oxidation.

Height: 14 cm; diameter: 16 cm; porcelaneous stoneware, fired to cone 6, in oxidation.

I am still intrigued by, and happy to work with the same matte, copper carbonate glaze as well as the slips I was using for my earlier Ottawa Guild of Potters’ solo Celebrating Clay exhibition. Those were a collection of tall, hand-built cylinders, with some small wheel thrown vases.

What’s different this year is that I am pleased to be back throwing at the wheel, and enjoying throwing larger and larger pieces. This one is one from a couple of months ago, and still small. But there will be more, and hopefully I can confidently reproduce this bluey-green colour, which for me recalls the quiet, always changing surface of Ontario ponds and lakes