“If you want to curdle the milk of your human kindness, get a job in the food service industry.”
– Some Redditor

Welp, consider me curdled. This weekend sucked, and I hate everything, lol. Sorry, I just had to say that “out loud” and get it out of my head.

Now, let’s talk clay!

I’ve been thinking a lot about our discussion during the proposal review, and I guess I still don’t have a definitive answer yet, but I do have a new goal or rather, the same goal, just with a new direction. Right now, I want to focus on researching one culture at a time, instead of trying to learn everything about all of them at once.

I’m starting with the Taíno, one of the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean.

I found some good information on the techniques used to build their vessels. They were mostly formed using a coiling technique. Their ceramic pieces, which included animal motifs, were used mostly for ritualistic purposes. The Taíno believed certain animals were connected to nature; for example, frogs were linked to rain, since they often appeared after it rained. So a vessel decorated with a frog was made with the thought that it would attract rain.

Now, while cats were not domestic animals in America until the Spaniards showed up, that sketch down there is showing one of cats, Hela, she is a creature of nature and represents my everyday life and my current environment.

The vase will show traditional patterns used by the Tainos. This will be my next vase. I think.