Artist Profile

Joan Helms

Joan is an organizational consultant who found the joy of playing and creating with clay. She can be reached at 850.222.1870 or jah@nettally.com.

Artwork Description

This technique was first developed by Native American potters. The pots are thrown by hand and tediously burnished with a smooth rock to a satin finish. After an initial bisque-firing, the pots are reheated to around 1300 degrees and then removed from the hot kiln (with tongs) and placed on a small brick. Strands of various colored horse hair, emu feathers, chicken feathers, and other organic materials are next carefully placed in direct contact with the hot pot- burning their images permanently into the clay surface.