Red Istrian clay
Geology of south Istria is similar than geology of Karst. Calcium carbonates as limestone deteriorates into red clay. It is everywhere an very red, though the texture is a little different than Karst’s. I went to collect it to the beach. There is some directly on the beach where we swim in the summer. That one is salty and the salt brings the melting point down. So I usually collect one slightly higher from the beach. There is one machine dug hole, and there the clay is completely clean. And since now is the raining season it’s well watered and plastic. I can just take it and start working with it. I fact it is so sticky, that I had to wash my shoes in the sea after collecting it. I already did several firings and tests with this clay – it is most beautiful at 1230°C.