TESSA CALLOWAY

Twined basketry shares a strict logic with ceramic drying: any sudden shift in tension travels straight across the form. Looking at the coiled disc on the timber bench this morning, the spacing of the weft thread reveals every hesitation. If the gauge thickens or the twist loosens near the edge, the entire plane buckles once it lifts off the flat surface. The eye catches the variance before measurement confirms it. Correcting an uneven run means unpicking the passes back to where the rhythm held steady, rather than hoping the next row will absorb the error.

Diary · 9 Oct 2026

Measuring shrinkage across test bars requires steady alignment. A clay body rarely contracts uniformly in all dimensions, losing volume as interstitial water evaporates before thermal sintering begins. Checking dry test bars with calipers past midnight, I log the linear variation across each marked edge. If drying contraction exceeds eight percent, the risk of warping under glaze tension increases sharply. Recording these dimensions now ensures the chemistry can be compensated before any heat is applied.

Diary · 8 Oct 2026

Rain outside the studio window slows ambient evaporation, which gives greenware time to settle without warping along the rim. When moisture leaves a clay body too quickly, the interior remains dense while the exterior shrinks, setting up stress lines long before bisque firing. Working at my bench this afternoon, I note the drying progress of newly trimmed cups. Slower drying requires patience, but it eliminates uneven tension that no amount of careful kiln packing can repair later.

Diary · 7 Oct 2026