• Home
  • Stories
    • News >
      • 2022 Local Government Elections
    • Learning & Literacy
    • Food, Farming & Fishing >
      • Recipe Collection
    • Culture & Heritage
    • Wellness
    • Environment
    • Opinions, letters and reflections
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Jobs
    • Job Posting Submission Form
    • Job Postings
  • E-magazine
  • Calendar
  • Albert County
    • Community Directory
    • Churches
    • Living in Albert County
    • Our Villages
    • Attractions
  • Ads
  • Trails
Connecting Albert County

culture and
​heritage

Albert County Clay Company

4/1/2015

1 Comment

 
PictureJudy Tait unloading the kiln.
“We had been settled here for quite a while before we noticed so much clay about,” says Judy Tait. Recognition of the abundance of local clay, an interest in pottery and a sense of adventure led Judy and her husband, David Tait, to create the Albert County Clay Company.

PictureJudy Tait
New Brunswick’s Albert County extends from south of Moncton to Alma, and is bordered two sides by water – the Petitcodiac River, which feeds into Shepody Bay, which in turn feeds into Chignecto Bay. The shoreline reflects the tidal extremes of the Bay of Fundy by revealing expansive red tidal flats at low tide. The red ‘muck’ of the tidal flats is an iron-rich mix of clay, limestone, silt and saltwater.

In 1699, Acadians settled in the area and began to build dykes along the tributaries of the Petitcodiac. The dykes kept the saltwater out, creating fertile farmland and (incidentally) providing ideal conditions to protect the estuarine clay from saltwater.

The clay comes from near the dykelands of the Petitcodiac but the specific source is a secret. When I ask David where he got the clay, he says (while laughing), “If I tell you, I would have to kill you.” The New Brunswick Geological Survey recorded the deposit in the mid-1800s, yet the Taits believe that before then the Acadians and Mi’kmaq likely used the clay in making, for example, bowls and bake ovens.
 
The search for clay
The Taits need clay that is pliable and plastic yet strong enough to withstand being fired in a kiln at 2000F. In their search for the ideal clay, they found a lot of clay, ranging in colour from grey to red to the bright colour of an orange. They shaped and fired samples. Some exploded in the kiln, others melted, but eventually the Taits found one that worked.

“It was a real hardship getting it at first,” Judy says. “We collected it all using buckets, and wet clay is very heavy. But we found a source of clay that fired beautifully. And then we thought we should talk to the landowner to ask permission to use it.” Fortunately, the landowners were not just willing to allow the Taits to take some clay, but own heavy machinery and now dig up and deliver the clay, tons of it at a time.

As an art student, Judy had studied pottery years ago but chose instead to specialize in fabric design. She taught surface (fabric) design in the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design in Fredericton for years. She is still involved in silk screen work with her other business, Samphire Casuals. David taught sheet metal work at the community college in Moncton for twenty years before retiring and becoming responsible for preparing the clay for Judy’s pottery.

“Once Judy started making pottery,” David remembers, “I started hearing, ‘David, I need more clay.’” Judy adds, “And that’s still going on,” and they both laugh. 

Processing the clay
The process of going from wet clay straight from the ground to a workable pottery medium is complicated and time-consuming. Through ingenuity and patience, David developed a system that works for them, and Judy uses her creativity to transform the clay into artwork.

The first step is drying the clay. Initially, the Taits dried the clay outside in the sun but the process was too slow and didn’t work in the winter, so David built a drying chamber made up of screened shelves where the clay is essentially baked at low heat. The dry clay is then pulverized into powder in a machine that David built; it’s something akin to a small cement mixer. The clay is then sifted through screens to remove foreign material, such as dried plant material and sand. When more Judy needs more clay, David adds water to the powdered clay, which transforms it from a greyish-white powder to red clay.

The damp clay needs to be ‘wedged,’ which means taking the air out of the clay. Air in the clay can make the clay more difficult to work, and (more dramatically) can cause the pottery to explode in the kiln. David uses a pugmill, a piece of equipment with an auger to push the clay and a vacuum pump to suck the air out. He then rolls the clay into thin sheets by using a mechanical press.
 
Making pottery
Judy now takes over. She shapes the flat slabs of clay into vases, wine coolers, bowls, plates and more. She presses flowers, leaves, seaweed, shells and/or grasses into the damp clay, which leaves intricate imprints. After she works the clay, the pottery is left to dry and its colour changes from red to white. It is then fired in the kiln, and acquires a light brick-red colour.

After the first firing (the bisque firing), Judy coats the interior of most of the pieces with a clear glaze to make them watertight. For some, she also applies a lightly-tinted glaze on the exterior. The glazed pottery is fired again at 2000F for eight hours. It takes another eight hours to cool down. The colour changes to a deep terracotta colour as the iron oxidizes in the heat.

Facing the challenges
The Albert County Clay Company has been in business for six years. Finding the appropriate clay was only one of the many challenges the Taits have faced. Judy recalls a point where they had to make a commitment to expand and take the business more seriously. The challenging decision was to buy a pugmill, an expensive device used to take the air out of the clay. Until this point, Judy was kneading the clay by hand but that proved to be unfeasible given the volume of clay she was dealing with. After deciding to invest in the equipment, Judy was so excited that they held a ‘pugmill party’. Most of their friends had no idea what a pugmill was, but apparently the party was great.

Another pivotal decision came when the business outgrew the house. At the time, they were working in the old Curryville schoolhouse, a building they had also lived in until they built a house across the road. Between the schoolhouse and their own house, lay the abandoned Curryville Community Hall. The community hall is now used as the workshop, the schoolhouse is the gallery and the house across the road is for living and doing the business side of things.

Marketing takes up a lot of their time. “It’s hard being an artisan and a business person,” Judy says. “But on the other hand, it forces you to use both sides of your brain…and there’s always something to grapple with.” The pottery is now sold to craft stores across the Maritimes, including the shops on the Marine Atlantic ferries, and in the New Brunswick Museum’s gift shop. It is also used for corporate gifts. For example, a company that sells corporate gifts to the federal government buys pieces decorated with maple leaves to give to foreign visitors.

Judy loves doing the pottery and enjoys the connection between the land and the art. “As a society, we’re always going away from that…losing the connection to local resources,” she says. Her clay isn’t like the standard commercial pottery clay. She finds that its limitations have forced her to become more creative, to think of designs that work with, not against, the clay. On the other hand, she tried using commercial clay recently and found that it didn’t hold up to the designs she now uses with the local clay.

David adds that he likes the connection with local history. In the 1800s, the Albert Brick, Lime and Cement Company operated just up the road from them. He points out that “just about any clay can be used for brick.”

David jokes that the pottery has “become a compulsion for Judy. We’ll be driving down the road and she’ll say ‘stop, there could be clay there’ or ‘let’s get some of those leaves.’”

If it’s a compulsion, it seems to be a healthy one. Judy describes her work as “exciting and rewarding in many ways.” She appreciates how pottery involves both her mind and her body at the same time.

In the Albert County Clay Company, Judy and David Tait have found a way not just to merge their skills, but also their passion for art, nature and their local environment.

How to prepare your own clay (the slow way)*
1. Spread in a thin layer and allow to dry in the sun.
2. Pound the clay with a baseball bat or heavy roll pin until it’s as fine as sand.
3. Sift through a large kitchen strainer or window screen.
4. Put the clay powder in water. Use ½ to ¾ as much clay powder as water. Let the clay absorb some of the water before stirring to prevent lumps. Then stir until thoroughly mixed.
5. Let the wet mixture settle for half a day and then pour off the excess water.
6. Store the clay in plastic bag and let age for three weeks before using.
7. ‘Wedge’ the clay to remove excess air by kneading it on a sheet of unfinished plywood, a plaster surface, or large piece of unfinished wood.

Now you’re ready to make pottery, though there are no guarantees that the pieces will withstand the heat of the kiln.

*Based on instructions from The Potter’s Primer by Eleanor Chroman, 1974, Hawthorn Press.

For information on the Albert County Clay Company, see
http://albertcountyclayco.com/. To visit the studio, call first at 506-734-2851. 

Janet Wallace likes to create food from the clay in her soil, and has just started to learn how to make pottery from commercial clay. She is also a freelance writer and editor.

Article by Janet Wallace, published in Rural Delivery, 2006.


1 Comment
Julia Desjardins
13/5/2016 07:51:04 am

Hello Judy and David, can you tell me where you can buy local red clay for children's art projects (near Moncton)

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Culture & Heritage

    ​Connecting Albert County would like to thank the following supporters & advertisers:

    Platinum supporters
    - Bennett and Albert County Health Care (BACH) Foundation  
    ​- Albert County Pharmacy
    ​​- Hon. Rob Moore, MP for Fundy Royal


    Gold supporters
    - CBDC Westmorland Albert 
    - ​Albert County Funeral Home​​


    Silver supporters
    - 
    Albert County Chamber of Commerce 
    ​ - Foods of the Fundy Valley​
    - Hon. Mike Holland, Minister, MLA-Albert 

     - Fundy Highlands Motel and Chalets

    Bronze supporters
    - ​Chipoudy Communities Revitalization Committee (CCRC)

    - Jeff MacDougall, SouthEastern Mutual Insurance ​

    If you would like to support Connecting Albert County, visit our Advertising page or Donation page. With your support, we can continue to share the news of rural Albert County.

    Comments
    We welcome comments to our blog postings. Please provide your email address and name with your comment, and respect our content guidelines.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    Categories

    All
    150th
    200th Anniversary
    27th Battalion
    60th Anniversary
    Abiel Peck
    Aboiteaux
    Aboriginal
    Abraham Gesner
    AC175
    Acadian Culture
    Acadian Expulsion
    Acadian Resistance
    Acadians In Albert County
    ACTA
    Activities
    Albert County
    Albert County 175
    Albert County Cancer Walk
    Albert County Exhibition
    Albert County HIstorical Society
    Albert County Historical Society
    Albert County Museum
    Albert County NB
    Albertite
    Albert MLA
    Alma
    Alma Fire Department
    Amalgamation
    Anniversary
    Armistice
    Armour Transportation
    Art
    Artisans
    Artists
    Arts
    Arts And Crafts
    Association Heritage NB
    Atlantic National
    Baby Shower
    BACH Foundation
    Back In The Day
    Bagpipes
    Ball
    Banners
    Bar Mitzvah
    Bat Mitzvah
    Bay Of Fundy
    Beausoleil
    Bible
    Board Game
    Broadleaf Ranch
    Brownies
    Buy Local
    Caledonia Mountain
    Camelia Airheart!
    Canada 150
    Canada Day
    Cannon
    Cape Enrage
    Car Show
    Carve
    Carving
    CCGS Captain Molly Kool
    CCRC
    CEDC
    Celebration
    Celebrations
    Celtic Music
    Cemeteries
    Ceremony
    Chase The Ace
    Childhood
    Childhood Memories
    Children
    Children's Book
    Chocolate River Publishing
    Christmas
    Christmas Parade
    Church
    Classic Cars
    Community
    Community Groups
    Community Spirit
    Connecting Albert County
    Corporate Events
    Covered Bridge
    Crooked Creek Adventures
    Crooked Creek Convenience
    Culture
    Curryville
    Curryville Community Center
    December
    Devil's Loft
    Diamond Jubilee
    Donald Bishop
    Donate
    Donations
    Don Coleman
    Dorothy Brzezicki
    Dr. Black
    Dream Team Canada
    Dr. Tingley
    Dykes
    Elgin
    Embroidered Cards
    Event
    Events
    Exhibit
    Exhibition
    Exhibitions
    Experiences
    Fair
    Female Sea Captain
    Fibre Arts
    Fiddle
    Figurine
    Fishing
    Fishing Boats
    Flag Ceremony
    Fleet Launch
    Folk Festival
    Follow The Goose Butt
    Foods Of The Fundy Valley
    Friends Of Fundy
    Fundraising
    Fundy Ceilidh
    Fundy Guild
    Fundy National Park
    Fundy Park
    Fundy Quilt Show
    Fundy Royal MP
    Fundy Strategic Tourism Plan
    Fundy Studio Tour
    Fundy Sugar Woods Festival
    Garden
    Gardening
    Gardens
    Gary Steeves Insurance
    Gender Reveal
    Ghosts
    Ghouls
    Girl Guides
    Girls
    Goblins
    Government
    Grass Roots
    Grindstone Island
    Growing Up In Albert County
    Guides
    Harp
    Harvey
    Harvey Hall
    Harvey School
    Headstone
    Heritage
    Heritage Awards
    Heritage Fair
    Hillsborough
    Hillsborough Baptist Church
    Hillsborough Elementary
    Hillsborough Farmers Market
    Hillsborough Kiwanis
    Hillsborough Public Library
    Historical Society
    History
    Holmstrom
    Hopewell Cape
    Hopewell Cape Museum
    Hopewell Hill
    Hurrr
    Ian Duncan
    Icebreaker
    Investment
    Irish
    Jerusalem Marketplace
    Joseph Broussard
    Kiwanis
    Lewis Steeves
    Life Membership
    Lifetime Membership
    Lighthouse
    Lobster
    Local
    Local Author
    Logging
    Lois Snider
    Maple Sugar
    Market
    Members
    Memorial Banners
    Memories
    Molly Kool
    Molly Kool\
    Molly Kool Award
    Monarchy
    Monument
    Mount Pleasant Events Centre
    Museum
    Music
    Nature
    NB
    New Brunswick
    New Brunswick Railway Museum
    Newcomers
    New Horton
    Nominations
    Oaks
    Octopus Garden Cafe
    Outdoor Activities
    Paddle For A Cause
    Parade
    Pathfinders
    Peace Park
    Peck Colonial House
    Petitcodiac River
    Pierre Thibodeau
    Pirates
    Plant
    Platinum Jubilee
    Poem
    Pottery
    Prime Minister Bennett
    Programming
    Progress
    Project
    Queen Elizabeth II
    Quilt
    Quilt And Fibre Arts Show And Sale
    Quilting
    Quilts
    Quilt Tour
    Raffle
    RA Fire Department
    Railroad
    R. B. Bennett
    R.B. Bennett
    RB Bennett Centre
    Remembrance Day
    Repairs
    Rersurgo Place
    Restoration
    Restore
    Rising Tide Festival
    Rising Tide Trails & Tunes Team
    Riverside Albert
    Riverside-Albert
    Riverside-Albert Fire Department
    Riverside Consolidated School
    Riverview Arts Centre
    Riverview Arts Seniors Connect
    Role Model
    Royal Theatre
    Rural
    Rural Fair
    Rural School
    Salem & Hillsborough Railroad
    Salmon River
    Sara Liptay
    Sawmill Creek Covered Bridge
    School
    School Closure
    School Garden
    Scrub
    S&C's Ice Cream
    Sea Shanty
    Season
    Seniors
    Shepody
    Shepody Days
    Shepody Food Bank
    Shoe Tree
    Sistema
    Small Businesses
    Soap Box Derby
    Song
    Songwriter
    Sparks
    Spinning
    Spring Activities
    Steeves 150
    Steeves Family Reunion
    Steve Arsenault
    Stories
    Summer
    Tablut
    Tales-from-the-creek
    Tartan
    Teledrive
    Tele Drive Albert County
    Tele-Drive Albert County
    Thank You
    The Incredibly Truthful Diary Of Nature Girl
    The Welsh Tornado
    This Is My Canada
    Thomas Calhoun
    Tickets
    Tides
    Tourism
    Traditions
    Trail Ambassador
    Trains
    Update
    Urban/Rural Rides
    Variety Show
    Veteran
    Veterans
    Victory Campaign
    Video
    Viking
    Vimy Ridge
    Volunteer
    Wabanaki Tree Spirit Tours
    Walk For Hope
    Weaving
    Wedding
    Welcome
    Wellness
    Westmorland County
    Wilson
    Winner
    Winter
    Woman's Institute
    Workshops
    World War 1
    Yoga
    Young Adult Fiction

    RSS Feed

CONTACT
ADVERTISING
CALENDAR
PUBLICATION

SiteLock
Copyright © Connecting Albert County, 2021 | Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada
  • Home
  • Stories
    • News >
      • 2022 Local Government Elections
    • Learning & Literacy
    • Food, Farming & Fishing >
      • Recipe Collection
    • Culture & Heritage
    • Wellness
    • Environment
    • Opinions, letters and reflections
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Jobs
    • Job Posting Submission Form
    • Job Postings
  • E-magazine
  • Calendar
  • Albert County
    • Community Directory
    • Churches
    • Living in Albert County
    • Our Villages
    • Attractions
  • Ads
  • Trails