Friday, February 20, 2009

Results of Surface Decoration Part II Class

I just finished my second Surface Decoration Class at Xiem Clay Center in Pasadena. Below are the results.

The Porcelain Star Fish box was colored with underglazes and colored pencils. It was low-fired.

The Black Mountain plate (below) was incised inlay. The lines are incised into the leather-hard clay and then the contrasting slip (almost liquid clay) is brushed into the lines and it is cleaned up with a metal scraper. It was bisque fired and then glazed with a very light coat of Korean Blue Celadon.


This Porcelain cup was glazed inside with Kie Ito and then the outside is a "cuerda seca" technique. The lines are drawn with an oil/manganese mix. Then the glazes are applied and the oil resists the color and burns away in the high-fire.

The Scottie was cut from a slab of clay that was a mixture of agate (two different clays mixed together to create patterns) and rolled inlay. Thin sheets of colored clay in a pattern on a soft slab of clay is rolled into the surface. The patterns distort slightly as it stretches under the rolling pin. It was bisque fired and then glazed with a light coat of Korean Blue Celadon.


On the bowl below a white low-fire (majolica) glaze was applied to the entire surface and then it was painted with underglazes. It was low-fired.

My final piece was done with a slip trail. While the Porcelain piece was leather hard, a thick Black Mountain slip was trailed on to create the pattern. It was then bisque fired and then the glaze was trailed in-between the lines and it was high fired.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Nara and Black Mountain Swirl Dip Bowl

I have taken Nara (Porcelain) and put it together with Black Mountain to create this swirling pattern as the piece is thrown. It was then glazed lightly with Korean Blue Celedon. It is 7" in diameter and 2.5" deep making it a perfect dish for a dip.