This week I'm working with leaves and stains. I start with a slab of clay and some leaves.
I impress the clay with a fern leaf. I think these are
Christmas ferns.
I brush the leaf impression with stain. How do you apply stain? Do you brush it on, use a foam brush or do you sponge it on?
Then I decided to spritz lightly with more underglazes and stains. These and others are in the drying cabinet. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
I will be very, very interested to see these when they have been fired. They look lovely - and that fern has such an elegant simplicity it is perfect to adorn your plates.
ReplyDeleteA student made a similar plate. He brushed the stain into the fern impression then wiped off the excess with a damp sponge (like Mishima on bisque-ware) then topped it with a white overglaze. It was really beautiful. I should have offered to buy that plate from him.
ReplyDeleteHi Elephant's Child, thanks, hope they turn out nice.
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, thanks, I remember you told me about that plate before, I always put my stain on greenware but perhaps I'll use these ferns and try the technique you just mentioned to see how it turns out, what stain did the student use? Maybe I'll try it with rio and copper carbonate and see what happens. Couldn't you just kick yourself when you don't ask to purchase something and then later on you keep thinking you wish you had.
Very nice Linda! How do you keep your slab built plates level on the bottom?
ReplyDeleteHi Gayle, thanks, I never seem to have a problem with them being flat, but the way I construct them I roll out the clay and then paint the underglaze or stains, then when they firm up after sitting on drywall board, I take a smooth bottom plate the same size as the slab and press down on the top of the plate to make the rim, the clay is sitting on a thick piece of firm foam. Maybe I should do a post on how I make them if this isn't clear. I learned this technique for making these from Meesh's pottery blog.
ReplyDeleteFerns are so timeless. It's a good plant to use.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting, Linda. I love coming by your blog, always something fun to learn.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. May the memories be long and warm.
Hi Ms. Sparrow, thanks, you are so right, they are timeless and so delicate and yet so strong. I love ferns.
ReplyDeleteHi Kittie, thanks, glad you stopped by. I love learning all I research too, blogging keeps me striving to go forward when other reasons seem futile much of the time.