02 . 20

red bank red : february ‘20

Amanda Brazier writes, “This is red clay from the roots of an upturned pine in the woods across from our house. I call the red clay I gather from around my home Red Bank Red. My sons and I came across this particular deposit of clay late last year. We had just returned from holiday travels, grateful for extended family time but also tired and overburdened. I decided to take them out into the woods so that we could feel human again. My older son led us to an upturned pine tree, its roots covered with bright red clay. He took off his shoes and climbed to the top of the clay-root hill. My two-year-old followed. We breathed and played, clay covering our hands and feet.

This red clay is an ultisol, which is the most common soil order in the Southeastern United States. It is a very old, intensively weathered soil with a red hue due to its high iron oxide content.

contributor : amanda brazier

“I am a painter living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. For the last nine years I have been gathering and using local earth pigments in my paintings. I also teach earth pigment gathering and paint making workshops. As a facilitator for the public art organization Mark Making, I teach art classes in the county jail and also help lead public art projects in schools.”