Ceramic Jewelry Box Part 2
This is a continuation of yesterday’s post highlighting the construction of a custom 2 level ceramic jewelry for Jean. As I mentioned yesterday, I don’t normally enjoy custom orders because it feels too much like homework, but I had already been thinking of making this project before Jean asked – good timing. I should also give you a bit of the back story about how I know Jean before going into more detail. Two years ago, I met Jean virtually via Alyson Stanfield’s online Promote Your Art with Confidence class in which we were both enrolled. After the class ended, a group of us stayed in contact using Google Groups – though I confess, I haven’t been participating very much in the past 3 months. I really appreciate the exchange of ideas that happens between a group of artists that encompasses a variety disciplines.
Paper butterfly cut-out in newsprint
This covered jewelry box is a birthday gift for her sister who really loves butterfly and rabbit imagery. Jean gave me quite a bit of leeway with the design (almost too much), but I did manage to squeeze in a few butterflies (8 to be exact) and I am still thinking about what kind of sculpted bunny knob will be most appropriate.
I used 8 paper butterflies on this box
I decided to use a paper stencil technique – I drew butterfly shapes on newsprint and then placed them on the box in various places. To help the paper butterflies adhere to the box, I spritzed the box and the paper stencils with water. Note: I still have not cut off the lid to the box and will do that today.
I applied 2 coats of colored slip to the exterior
My original thought was to paint underglaze over the entire box, however, when I went into my studio I didn’t have an turquoise colored underglaze. I thought I did, but it was low-fire turquoise glaze – eek! What to do? Last year, I had mixed up some different colored slips using cone 6 porcelain clay scraps and Mason Stains and remembered I had a celadon colored slip in my stash. I used 1 tsp. of French Green and 1 tsp. Robin’s Egg Blue to 2 cups of slip. I painted on 2 coats of slip to the exterior of the box, allowing the 1st coat to dry before painting the final one. Note: It can sometimes be problematic to mix different clay bodies – the jewelry box is constructed using a ^6 white stoneware and the slip is a ^6 porcelain, but, I have already had successful results combining the two clay bodies.
Low fire earthenware tile with paper stencil design
My inspiration for using the paper stencils comes from a project I did with my students last fall who were enrolled in my after school clay class. We made tiles using paper stencils that turned out terrifically. Another cyber friend & potter, Linda Starr also recently experimented with butterfly stencils – only she used pre-made stickers, a technique I love and might borrow someday! I’ll post some pics of the kid’s stenciled tiles when I find them – I think I’ve moved the images to my external hard drive and I’m too lazy to walk to the other room right now.
After pulling the paper butterflies off the box, the raw clay remains underneath the slip
After the slip started drying, the paper butterflies started lifting away from the clay making it very easy to get pretty crisp images. I did take a paint brush and smoothed the edges where the slip meets the raw clay around the butterflies. When the box is bisque fired, the raw clay will be white – not quite as white as porcelain, but pretty darn close.
I even put one on the insert that will nest inside the box
Even the insert is decorated – and I’ll probably paint slip on the interior of the box once I’ve cut the lid off today. I had a flash of inspiration last night while I was editing these photos. While the slip and clay are still wet, I wondered whether Jean would want me to carve a little message to her sister…. Luckily, Jean answers her email pretty quickly and I am indeed going to carve a secret word shared between sisters inside the box for her sis to find. Isn’t that fun???
So, what comes next? Cut the lid off, clean up the edges and interior of the lid today – followed by sculpting a knob and adding feet to the box. Then, the box will dry over the weekend and I’ll bisque and glaze fire it. I plan on using a clear glaze since I’ve already used slip, though I’ll probably use my celadon glaze for the knob – maybe I’ll leave it clear – not sure and that’s a decision to make later. After the box is glaze fired, I will be adding laser toner ceramic butterfly decals to add another finishing layer to the design.
Speaking of decals, I’m firing 2 test pots with decals as I write this. I figured I’d better test it out before firing Jean’s birthday gift to ensure success. I don’t normally operate this way, but I’d hate to disappoint her. I started my decal firing this am at 6:30 in my test kiln – fingers crossed, they turn out perfectly. I’m firing the decals to cone 04 based on a handout Linda Arbuckle has provided on her website (scroll to the very bottom for the ceramic decal one – though there is a ton of other great info on her site to check out) that suggests firing the decals between cone 04 – cone 1 for any work fired to cone 6. It makes sense – the iron oxide in the laser toner will fuse to the glaze at the point when the cone 6 glaze is beginning to flux. Any cooler, and the image may rub off, and any hotter it may burn off.
I’m substitute teaching tomorrow, so I won’t share my results until Saturday – but you know I’m going to peek inside the kiln tomorrow morning. I don’t know if I could wait all day!
~Cynthia
P.S. I have some exciting news to share…
P is for Patience…
Is it Wednesday already?? I had meant to post yesterday, but our torrential downpour Monday night prevented me from photographing some of my new work. So, I had to postpone my “photoshoot” till last evening.
Back to the title of this post. Now, I don’t want to have a pity party for myself or anything, but I have been learning or maybe re-acquainting myself with the nuances of working with clay in the past few months. She’s a demanding mistress and will not be rushed. But, if one waits too long, then the opportunity to manipulate the medium quickly disappears. How am I learning this lesson? The cake platter above, is one that I threw Sunday, May 6th, and it’s only been ready to handle in the past couple of days. I had already trimmed the piece, but I’m drying it very slowly. I don’t want it to warp or crack at any stage of the making process.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I really think that I have a touch of ADHD. One of the reasons clay works for me is that I bounce from project to project depending on where the pieces are in said making process. I can throw something, put it aside, carve something else, glaze something, fire the kiln, etc. etc. all in the same day. The ultimate multi-tasker’s nirvana. Or, maybe I enable myself?? Not sure.
Despite the bouncing around that I do in the studio, I’m learning not to rush the clay. I have had more than my share of warped and badly glazed projects come out of the kiln in the past month, not to mention cracked handles etc. I am really trying not to become attached to a piece, until after it comes out of the kiln for the final time, which is hard to do when one spends X amount of hours on a piece. All of my pieces become like my babies.
I have to say, that I really like how this one is turning out. In the top 2 images above, I hadn’t yet finished carving the design. I’m pleased to let you know that the carving is complete as of last night. I finished carving the platter while I watched AI and Haus last night. It’s always good to multitask while watching TV. I don’t have a new photo of the finished platter, but you get the idea. Now, my project has to finish drying so that I can bisque fire it this Friday/Saturday.
As far as the design goes, it came about as the result of 2 mugs whose handles I cracked while transporting them from one side of my studio to another. My first instinct was to launch them accross the room, but then I thought I should use these as test carving pieces/colored slip pieces.
Anyway, must get going now,
In A Slump
I’m in a slump, not figuratively but literally. Before you start to feel sorry for me, read on…. I turned 41 in March and my father in law mentioned that he wanted to make something for me and my new ceramic studio. He thought it would be more meaningful and useful than something store bought. Boy, was he right. I had read an article in Pottery Making Illustrated, (or was it Clay Times?) where the artist had made a slump mold out of plywood. I asked my husband if he would make one or two for me and he said sure, but in my mind, I knew it might be several months before I saw one.
So, when my father in law offered to make something for my birthday, I immediately envisioned an assortment of wood slump molds. I sketched out the shape on the all weather plywood and he cut out the shapes with a jig saw and then sanded the edges. Yesterday, I decided to try it out and report that these are going to be great! I love them, thank you Tig! I have a number of circle, square, oval and other shapes to make all types of serving ware. I think I’m going to make myself a set of dishes this year. Check out this link to see a tutorial of how to make your own slump molds. So after reading this you can see that being in a slump is sometimes a good thing!
Talk later,
New Surface Decoration Technique
I was a busy bee at the Art Student’s League of Denver yesterday. That is where you will find me most Wednesdays until it’s time to pick up my daughter from school. I brought all my bisque that I had fired at home this past weekend to the league to glaze fire, since I haven’t made any bucket glazes at home yet. I’m trying to decide on a palette. As you have probably noticed, I tend to favor cool colors such as watery blues, aquas, whites etc. Could it be my Pisces nature showing through?
The 2 vases above were an attempt at a technique called Mocha Diffusion. Lest you think I was hyped up on a double caf non fat mocha latte while making ceramic ware, let me quell your confusion. Mocha diffusion is a technique where an acidic stain is applied to wet slip. Where the acidic stain and alkaline clay collide, the stain forms a dendritic pattern much like a fern or fossil. The original recipe calls for urine or tobacco juice as the acid and either iron oxide or manganese as the colorant.
I tried a little less drastic and alternative route after having watched a Robin Hopper video. I used apple cider vinegar and black mason stain. I didn’t have the ratios correct, so I didn’t exactly achieve dendritic patterns, but still like the effect. I also didn’t have any iron oxide or manganese on hand, so made do with the black mason stain. I should have read Robin Hopper’s article first – the suggested ratio is 1 heaping tsp. of colorant to 1/4 c. vinegar. I’ll try again after I have the correct ingredients…no not urine, but iron oxide. I also added water to my mixture which diluted the acidic content. I won’t do that again. I chalk it all up to learning. As soon as these are bone dry, I’ll bisque fire to cone 04 and then figure out how to glaze these pieces.
Must go now,
You know I couldn’t just end this post so quickly…. I decided to go out an preserve an image of my crab-apple tree that is almost in full bloom right now. Why, you ask? Because the Denver Metro area is under a Winter Storm Warning. We’re expecting up to 12″ of snow by tomorrow. Today may be the last time I see the blossoms until next spring. It’s going to be a little cold out in the garage studio tomorrow!
