All of the work at Blue Moon Clay Studio is handmade
pottery. Though some “tools” are used, the main tools
are the hands of the potter and the potter’s wheel. The spinning
of the potter’s wheel and the forming of clay is magical to
watch.
Brenda tosses a soft ball of clay on the center of the wheel and as
the wheel is spinning she provides enough pressure to create the shape
she wants. Initially it takes a remarkable amount of pressure and
force to move the clay, but once the shape takes form, a great deal
of delicacy and slight touch will alter it dramatically. The art of
hand made pottery is knowing how and when to alter the touch of the
hands to achieve these elegant and simple forms.
Visitors to Blue Moon Clay Studio are welcome to come into the pottery
and see Brenda creating her saggar fired vessels. You may catch her
on one of two wheels. She uses an electric wheel to create each handmade
vessel and a kick wheel to trim and burnish the pieces.
Much of the handmade pottery made at Blue Moon Clay Studio is decorative.
The soft hues of the saggar fire are natural blushes of color on the
surface. As a result, this American handmade pottery is porous and
not designed to hold water.