Playing with paper porcelain clay, barnacle inspired

Today in the studio, I began thinking about how to translate the texture and feel of barnacles on shells into clay. Rob introduced me to a new material for this idea: porcelain paper clay. This white clay is a world away from our usual stoneware—more elastic, noticeably drier to the touch, and far more fragile. But once I started working with it, it proved to be an absolute delight.

I began simply, forming a ball into a pinch pot. From there, I experimented with pushing various tools from the inside out, creating little protrusions that echoed the look of barnacles and the softened, eroded surfaces you see on objects weathered under the sea. The results were surprisingly effective and very satisfying.

Once I had a feel for the clay, I made several standalone barnacle shapes. I then pinched a small bowl and attached the barnacles in a loose, random pattern around the exterior, letting the form develop organically. A second small bowl was made by ripping the clay and attaching the ripped pieces in a series of rows. I also created a couple of tiny sculptures using the same techniques.

This one later collapsed

The biggest challenge so far has been scale. Going larger is tricky—this clay simply doesn’t support itself the way stoneware does. My attempt at a flatter dish structure collapsed on me, reminding me that porcelain paper clay has its own rules and limits.

To finish the session, I made a coral-inspired piece by rolling lots of small, cigar-shaped coils and carefully inserting them into the bottom of a pinch-pot bowl. The texture was exactly what I was hoping for: intricate, delicate, and slightly chaotic in a very natural way.

Overall, this clay has opened up a whole new set of possibilities, and I’m excited to keep exploring what it can do. I am excited to see how these pieces fire and how best to glaze them.