Very interesting. I planted the native variety of mesquite tree at my home when it was built in 2011, one in the front yard and one in the back yard. As the tree grew and matured, trimming the large branches became necessary. The tree bleed the brown/black sap and dripped on the travertine pavers much to my wife's disapproval. I hung on the tree a plastic container that captured the sap, preventing it from dripping onto the pavers below. I now have a use for the mesquite sap/tar that has collected in the plastic containers. Thanks for a great video and idea for the use for the mesquite sap/tar.
Wow, I'd never heard of this technique before. We've got lots of mesquites not too far from us, so I can't wait to experiment! BTW, today is my retirement day. I'll finally be able to devote some quality time to this. I see a busy year ahead, including, I hope, a workshop or two. We're going to try for March.
Does this material spoil after first use? How would you preserve it to use again? I have read that the mesquite sap can be used in place of gum arabic used in watercolors. I've also read that the mesquite sap is also antimicrobial and was used as medicine. I'm curious to know if the prolonged heating destroys that preservative quality. Thank you for your good work Andy. You explain things well.
Just let it dry up then rehydrate to use again. This was my first experience with using mesquite sap for paint so I have no idea whether it loses anything over time, but I would guess not. I mean it had sat out on the outside of a tree and dried up for a long time before I ever collected it and yet I was able to rehydrate it and use it just fine.
Fascinating video ,very interesting history,I was playing a bit with tanning and basket making ,someone was barking wattle trees during soaking the bark this beautiful dark colours came out which I used to dye some clothes with but never thought of paint.maybe a reduction would work. I'm in South Africa so I'll have to research maybe Khoi San paints etc .Thank you so much,,I love your channel.that pot looks amazing!.well done .
I really think your on to something , I boiled some down too after watching . No test fire yet but I agree it's nice to work with. it has a self correcting line quality to it on unburnished white slip as well, maybe the oiliness as you mentioned makes it behave like oil paint rather than watercolor is the best I can describe. Looking forward to seeing your results as well as mine. Thanks again Andy !
Andy I’ve watched maybe 90% of the videos, i live in El Paso TX, ive been harvesting clay I will fire some stuff soon. Thanks to you I have all I need to develop this craft. Going to keep experimenting and developing, hopefully I get good soon.
Not sure if you'll be posting another video before Christmas (The holidays) And Me and my husband just wanted to take this chance to wish you, your family, your followers and everyone else. Health happiness and fun clay adventures. Lots of love
I love your videos Andy, they always get my mind thinking. Every time organic paint comes up my mind goes to testing molasses as a paint. As for post fire decorating, I can see this as possibly just a time and energy saving practice. It can take some time to paint a pot or many pots. But then after all that effort, they break in the firing. It would thus be wise to only paint the pots that survived firing. So maybe they adopted post firing decorating as a way of being more efficient?
It would even be possible to use the coals from a round of pots being first fired to post fire the other pots. If they worked in batches this would allow one batch to be getting fired while another batch is getting second fired after. Making better use of the fuel needed
No doubt that saves some time decorating pots that won't make the firing. But these are expert potters, they generally didn't have many firing losses as I don't either. Organic paint applied pre-firing requires a very specialized clay slip and a unique firing method. Painting post-firing negates those requirements.
I have to wonder if something similar could be done by boiling black walnut husks. Even just sitting in lukewarm water, they turn it black pretty much over night.
Yes, I am sure it is pretty low temp. I am not planning on doing one of these firings but would love to get invited to a Native pottery firing and measure their temperatures.
Hey Andy, I make replica Native American style items and tools, well I would like to as you if you know and typical designs of in particular the Anasazi (but others would be useful too) Would’ve used on their tools such as knives and sheaths (I know that’s pretty dependent on the individual) but “typical” elements and the way they would apply it, such as paints, carving or ? If you can help, I would be so happy. Loved the video
I could only help in how designs were applied to pottery, not sure how they would have been applied to knives, sheaths, etc. As for designs just do a Google image search, lots of great designs available there.
Very nice! Beautiful piece! Though I am more interested in cooking in clay I wander if you have done in past a video on what many of these different pots were used for. I can't imagine ancient natives having them just to look at. They must have been for storage, drinking, cooking, etc. Just some shapes & sizes baffle me. Maybe these had small top opening to facilitate sealing them? Maybe they dealt with smaller quantities or used them for travel set in their basket backpack.
Pottery was used for all kinds of things, eating and drinking, cooking, transporting and storage. I seriously doubt any were just for looks as they often are today.
I've read about seeds being found in caves in small pots. If I'm not mistaken one variety was found in the southwest and is called Art Combe's ancient watermelon. Baker Creek Seeds had an article written about it. I think there was two small pots and I can't recall what the other seeds were but the article was interesting. They went and spoke to the gentleman that was in jail for the Ruby Ridge incident because he was kin to one of the guys who found it and had helped develop a strain that grew in dessert conditions. Now it's been a few years since I read that so I could have details remembered wrong. I'd encourage you to read at least the first part about the pottery and cave. I can't recall how it was sealed but I believe it was sealed. Also ollas are used unglazed today buried next to plants and filled with water. They fetch a pretty penny mass produced. I bet unique hand made ones would be worth a lot too. I'm thinking the undecorated ones were for gardens if the local tribes were into agriculture.
@@kelliwiemers6445 Do you know title or where you found article you read?. Searching just ancient seeds found shows mostly Egyptian. Did find ollas & pictures of them in with plants. Those would be nice to make.
@@ThinkAboutIt-2x it said it was a small woven pot in the seed description. Found in a sandstone cave in Arizona mongollon ridge. I had remembered wrong. I thought it was a pottery pot. He found them in 1920s.
Beautiful video Andy! Every aspect of it. Is that pot for sale? However it looks after firing, I’ll buy it if I can. Your passion to this art shines through in all you do🙏🏻✨✨✨💐Marry Christmas and happy new year🎄🌺
Thank you, it is but it is generously priced so I would understand if it is out of your price range. ancientpottery.how/product/gila-polychrome-jar-lightning/
Just consider 1) the time spent on this pot and 2) the time spent on training your skills - and considering you should make more than minimum wage, it makes sense. Currently outside what I can afford, but it makes sense. Same with the beautiful hand carved boxes by Peter Follansbee. Thanks for sharing the process! You are an inspiration. Once the kitchen is remodeled (need some more wood) I'll look at our local mud. Our soil in the garden has the consistency of butter when wet, water pools easily in depressions and stays there. I need to process it a bit, I guess, but it might be viable.
Great video! I live in Illinois and I have been having problems finding something to use for paint. Do you think I could find any of these paints online?
In my search for knowledge about making pottery, I bought this book years ago at the Heard Museum. But I haven't come across any mesquite trees this far north in Arizona. Did it smell like bbq when you cooked it?
It depends on a lot of things. How it is processed, the plant it is made from and I have noticed if the weather is humid it will get sticky but if it is warm and dry it will dry hard. Sometimes it is just going to be sticky right up unto it is fired, handle with care.
are you going to do a second firing painted pot? no compatible slip needed? just paint on a brown pot. i'd like to see that video. as Mrs.Adams92116 has said it would be a time saver painting only the pots that survive the first fire. very nice video! thank you ou
No, I'm not planning on making any post-firing decorated pottery. I would be interested in making a video about a Native potter who uses these methods though.
