These mugs start with a block of soft, red clay and a rolling pin. I roll the squishy clay into thin slabs and texture them by pressing hand-carved stamps or texture tools into the soft slabs. I form and stretch the slabs into a variety of mug shapes, add a slab bottom and hand-pulled handles. These slab-built mugs need to dry slowly, and are checked throughout the drying process for any needed refinements. They are then bisque fired, glazed and fired again to a temperature that slightly melts the clay.  The pyroplastic clay moves slightly in the kiln, adding another layer of movement and personality.