VA CLAY-VIRGINIA CLAY, Paula Brown-Steedly

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The common threads throughout these unique works are motion, change, & the passage of time. The natural landscapes of fields and forests or beaches and oceans evoke breathtaking beauty. My work captures their timeless appeal and the moments and the memories that embrace the fleeting nature of this life, this place, and this time. Just as time and life evolve, my work of 40+ years continues to grow keeping the work fresh and original.
My pieces reveal the influence of time on the changing sea, the spiraling waves, the warm sun, the forceful winds, the falling rain, and the elegant & powerful horse as I see them in nature.
I developed my own clay body to accommodate the immediate and intense ways I work with my varied combination’s of forming techniques. Slab construction, wheel thrown and altered, and slab draping are my methods. The materials are nontoxic and nonporous; many of the finishes are matte &/or ash. The stoneware body is resilient, coarse, and rich brown to buff maturing at 2380 degrees (cone 10 ).