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NEW ORLEANS IS MY MUSE. I WANT TO CAPTURE HER QUIRKY PLAYFULNESS AND CHARACTER WITH MY ART.

EACH PIECE TELLS ITS OWN STORY, IS HAND GLAZE PAINTED, RAKU FIRED AND ONE OF A KIND.

STEP INTO THE STORY AND SHARE MY CREATIVITY.

THE STORY OF THE STORY - THE STORY OF THE STORY - THE STORY OF THE STORY

Themes based on my "joie de vivre" in New Orleans are drawn, imprinted and sprigged, peppering the clay of my signature shapes. A self developed combination of building techniques, 16 years as a full time clay artist and a final Raku firing process, ensure that each piece of my New Orleans locally made art is well crafted and truly unique.

My signature shapes are sometimes simple or a combination of many building techniques. Clay can be sculpted, hand rolled, thrown, extruded, pinched and even then altered.

Completed pieces are slowly dried then bisque fired, in an electric kiln, solidifying the final shape from clay into ceramic.

Details are accented with an underglaze then each piece is hand painted w ith my glazes. Only the final firing will reveal the beautiful colors of my glazes. I must hold the colors in my minds eye as I brush on the chalky looking glazes soon to be transformed into glass. My favorites- turquoise, bus yellow and brick red!

RAKU FIRING PROCESS

I fire in my garden using a ceramic fiber kiln that I built. Propane Gas fuels me to about 1200* temperature. Watching through the window I see glazes blister, melt and shine. The Juggling of timing and temperature are crucial and controllable but mixed in with barometric pressure and wind I sometimes have to rely on a wing and a prayer !

I lift the bonnet and using tongs I remove each red hot piece and move it through cooler air creating tiny glaze fractures. Nestled into a bed of combustibles, smoke carbonizes unglazed areas and accents the tiny glaze fractures I created. Each hand fired piece now has a unique aged look and is truly one of a kind

Laissez le bon temps roulle (Let the good times roll) and lift your spirit with story pottery New Orleans style!

JOY GAUSS