View Artwork by Christine McKay
Christine McKay
I discovered clay I found a way to incorporate two passions…drawing and sculpting. I prefer to have my hands and fingers directly engaged with my medium, so I’m happily drawn to those where I can brush my fingers over a page or a clay surface, feeling the response of the elements under my fingertips. There is often a sensation of deep connection to ancient artisans when working with clay or charcoal, as though time is no barrier between me, a Paleolithic artist or a Neolithic potter/sculptor. I’m quite a loner, but in those moments I’m touching in with the deepest of of friends and times I wish I had known.
I fire at cone 6 Oxidation (electric), primarily using a porcelain clay that I get from the well-known Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT. It’s a lush porcelain that suits throwing and hand-building. I settled on oxidation firing because I work with so much detail; painting and carving, cone 6 retains those efforts as well as creating durable outdoor pieces. Over time and much experimentation I’ve found a pallete of glazes, pigments and methods that crate toasty and earthy surfaces which meld with the organic attachments I sometimes include.