Knead, bend, roll, throw, twist, pound, bake, beg, weep .... just a few of the myriad manipulations at one's disposal to innovate with clay. This amazing substance from the earth is a loyal servant of the ceramic arts. Forever challenging its creator to find the right aesthetic balance and appeal. Sometimes it only takes a slight adjustment to the form for it to transmute from ordinary to brilliant. Great pieces are sometimes born in the conceptual stage, taking shape with a sketch or just a casual idea. Other times it's not till the final bake that vague concepts crystallize