Potting around the garage - II

In my earlier post I mentioned one of my goals was to go back to potting or throwing pots . I miscalculated my potter's guild meeting and reached there a week early. I can't wait for this Wednesday to go and meet all the wonderful artists that comprise the guild.
Meanwhile, I cleaned out the tandem garage space we had decided for my studio. There were lots of cobwebs on the walls and some twenty dead bugs on the window sill. I cleaned all that up and took stock of my clay supply.
I had two 25lb bags of clay in a hard cheese state. Early on, when I started taking pottery lessons, the whole class was taught the basics of how to reclaim clay. Bone dry clay is easier to reclaim. You just have to immerse it in water and let it turn to mush. After a few days, dry out the excess water from the mush by slapping it on plaster boards.


Cheese hard clay, which I had, is a little bit trickier to reclaim. You have to cut the block in lots of layers, poke holes in them, layer them on top of each other while spraying water on each layer. The layers thus reassembled have to be wrapped up in plastic and left to marinate and soften for at least a week or two. Which is exactly what I did with mine.
Next week I go to Atlanta to spend some time with one of my best friends, S. When I come back the clay will be waiting for me and I for the clay.