New Work: Sculptural

Micaceous Clay

They call it, "the plumbing issue under the President's Dining Room."

I call it micaceous clay!

Mica is pretty much what happens when you put clay - a fellow alumina silicate - under a lot of pressure for a long time, taking it part-way between clay and stone. Mica forms flat, plate-like crystals which cleave into glittery, smooth flakes. This mica is probably the light muscovite form, and has formed an aggregate with a bright orange clay to make a lovely micaceous clay. 

Many Native Americans tribes in New Mexico, especially the Pueblo tribes and Apaches, have traditionally placed a high value on micaceous clay deposits. They value it for both its glittery surface and the mica's superior ability to transfer heat, which allows clay pots to be used directly on heat without cracking.

Micaceous clay is rare and highly guarded in the Southwest, but here in the state of Virginia, it is everywhere, including behind the dumpster.