I’m processing a Phyllite Precambrian from the Bay of Fundy Coast, making a test cone 10 high fire pottery clay. Suspect rock from a fracture zone may be a hydrothermal alteration of native feldspar, or be derived from a volcanic ash fall. Built stamp and a ball mill process equipment. Working toward a mix with Sussex NB area Cretaceous porcelain. Combining Nova Scotia sourced fireclay.

MichealWood, the guy with the biggest smile in NB – invited me to the Dieppe Cultural center to play with his newly formulated glazes made from local rock materials. Of course I was happy to go, played music at the opening. For me, this is the end mark for what I wanted to do in NB ceramics.

I wanted to encourage potters and artists to work our natural resources, reduce our carbon footprint, make our ceramics economically sustainable by birthing a local industry on what I brought over from my mineral prospecting days. Actually, Andrew at NU pottery stood up and did this, bless his heart, referencing an Ax conference at Sussex I may have inspired, with extreme help from Peter Powning, Ax staff, Liz Demerson to name just a few.

So I’m thinking to end my pottery days here – but I still haven’t built the Onggi kick wheel, the wood fired kiln, the rocket kiln, or parted with my rock hammer. If I do continue along, I”ll mostly stop selling. I seem to be in a phase of fixing others kilns. Being presently kilnless myself, I may build a small gas kiln toy next.