David Beumee on sun 10 dec 06
In the midst of two trajic Clayart deaths, there's a story from devestated New Orleans that I'd like to share.
As part of a house-gutting team in the Gentilly district of New Orleans this November 2006, we entered a home that had stood vacant, except for looters, for 14 months since hurricanes Katrina and Rita blasted and flooded NO in August and September of 2005. The storms inundated the entire Gentilly residential district with 8 feet of water, and 85% of the city sustained major flooding. As a potter and part of a team entering the abandoned and silent neighborhood of Gentilly 14 months after these storms, I couldn't help noticing the 2 inch layer of dried clay on the car port of the house our team gutted down to the studs, and I brought a box of this bottom of Lake Ponchartrain back to Colorado. Fired to bisque it's a beatiful orange terra cotta earthenware, and made into slip and dipped on a porcelain test tile, it's a stiff and pinholed dark brown slip-glaze at cone 10. As an underglaze slip, Katrina clay colors some of my clear and translucent glazes a nice celedon, and I've had to
combine the likely toxic sludge with a dark-burning ball clay to get it to fit my porcelain body without cracking. I'll be producing mugs for the team members, and carving through the slip for decoration, ala Michael Cardew.
What I missed most in NO was the lack of live jazz, but there are beginning to be signs of life on Frenchman street in the Quarter, and I'll make whatever effort is necessary to hear some music when I return in March with another house-gutting team.
The issues facing this great American treasure can appear so overwhelming that many thousands of NO residents have given up on the idea of coming home. Faith-based organizations are bringing this city to life once again, one step at a time, despite the inaction and massive governmental confusion. Come back New Orleans! Come home!
David Beumee
Lafayette, CO
Linda K. Beasley on sun 10 dec 06
Hi David!
It's wonderful that the clay is producing beautiful results. That seems so
phoenix-like.
I was wondering how you would ensure that the mugs will be safe. Do you
plan to seal the mugs in a clear foodsafe glaze? Would it be possible for
any toxic substances to leach out even through a layer of clear? I'm new to
ceramics and I don't yet understand glaze properties.
Having lived in New Orleans 30 years ago, I know firsthand what a magical
city it was and hopefully, will be again.
Linda in Mississippi
David Beumee on mon 11 dec 06
Hi Linda,
First, everything is fired to cone 10, and secondly, the Katrina slip will be encased in a non crazing clear glaze, so not a problem.
David Beumee
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Linda K. Beasley"
> Hi David!
>
> It's wonderful that the clay is producing beautiful results. That seems so
> phoenix-like.
>
> I was wondering how you would ensure that the mugs will be safe. Do you
> plan to seal the mugs in a clear foodsafe glaze? Would it be possible for
> any toxic substances to leach out even through a layer of clear? I'm new to
> ceramics and I don't yet understand glaze properties.
>
> Having lived in New Orleans 30 years ago, I know firsthand what a magical
> city it was and hopefully, will be again.
>
> Linda in Mississippi
>
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