there comes a point in some dudes ceramics careers where they start fucking with glazes so hard they spend their weekends hand digging rare minerals out of a desert deposit or a friend's multi-acre lot so they can grind them up and put them in a glaze. I know at least three guys that do this.
I also knew this guy derrick who was an absolute beast on the wheel (threw an entire 40pc porcelain serving set w/ cups bowls plates serving dishes and casserole dish in ONE HOUR) who also rented out a backhoe so he could dig clay out of his yard and refine it. Unfortunately it had too many inclusions in it so he had to dilute it with industrially made stuff. when he did that though he found that the clay in his yard, when fired, produced it's own glossy green glasslike ooze that vitrified during firing. he called it "self glazing clay", and went back that day to go dig up more. hope hes doing well. I imagine he's excavated his entire property by now
