Instagram, Etsy, and the studio where I teach are linked above.
Tag navigation under the cut:
General Stuff:
- Greenware: unfired pottery. This is when forming, painting, and carving happen.
- Carving, Glaze Inlay: glaze in the carving, leaving clay exposed. All glaze inlay will be under the carving tag, but not all carving will be glaze inlay.
- Etsy: posts with links to my listings
- Event: real-life stuff, such as shows I've sent a pot to and places where I am actively selling
- Asks
Greek Pottery: overarching tag for the red and black style pots at any stage.
-Underglaze/Underglaze Painting: what I use for the black. Mostly for the Greek-style pieces, but it can be for other things.
- Sherd: the broken-looking things
- Magnet
- Ornament
- Jewelry:
- Necklace
- Earrings
This one came out better! The side opposite the gorgoneion (third picture) came out a bit toasted, but fortunately that’s not the center of focus.
I leaned harder into the Starbucks look for this one. I also came up with something a little different with the meander pattern that I might walk through in another post. (Well, I assume it’s been done before, but I reinvented the wheel haha)
Well, I do feel a certain obligation to show y’all when things go poorly. This clay that I use is very sensitive to the kiln, so I like to load these pieces myself so I can protect them. There was a little miscommunication at the studio, so this and another tumbler went though.
The color actually came out really well in all but one section, but unfortunately that section was arguably the most important one. The details on the hippocampus are hard to pick up since the red got so dark. Plus, that little white spot on the backside.
Still, I like the design, so I’ll revitalize it sometime in the future, but I’ve gotta throw some more cups first haha
I’ve been playing around with the celadon style glaze, where it’s more concentrated where it pools. It gives me the extra definition on the carved areas while allowing me to be a bit finer with the lines, in relation to the glaze inlay. Something a little different while still letting me do my doodles!
I told myself I was going to get some bud vases up in time for Mother’s Day. I’ve got some drying on the shelf that are definitely not happening, but this one makes the cut!
Current work in progress. At about 10” in diameter, those border patterns add up. The stopped meander at the top there is comprised of 120 units 😅. To make sure that the distribution of the “stops” is consistent, I block out each unit then count. This one worked out so that it’s X[9]X.
This thing was a beast to paint, but I’m really pleased with how it came out. I got a bit experimental in certain regards (grape vine pattern and the sea, mostly), and I think it paid off!
Can I ask you some advice on making red-figure stuff? No pressure ofc.
Mine has turned out nice-ish (clay color-wise) so far, (bisque fired at 900℃, IIRC), but I wish I could make them less porous, the black more glossy, and the clay itself to be a little brighter/oranger.
So, what clay and underglaze (?) do you use? What temperature do you fire your stuff at? Do you glaze them or not?
Hi! Sorry I’m getting to this so late. I completely missed it somehow. Answers under the cut, since I tend to go long.
So different clays mature at different temperatures. I use Laguna’s Red B-Mix with Grog, a mid-fire stoneware. I bisque it to Δ05 (1046 °C ish), then glaze fire (but no glaze, generally) to Δ5 (1196 °C). I use Coyote Clay & Color’s black underglaze, which is formulated for mid- to high-fire ceramics, so it doesn’t actually turn black until it hits Δ5. In the photo, the teapot is unfired greenware, and the ornament is bisqueware.
I say I fire them to Δ5, but I kind of under fire them. Flat sherds I fire face down which helps keep the red brighter rather than going brown. I try to protect pots from the elements by shielding them with other pots or kiln furniture. I’ve found some ways to bring out the color of the clay in a way I want, but at a certain point, we’re limited by the clay itself, if we don’t want to use underglaze for that, too.
I do use a clear glaze on the inside of mugs and cups or anything that’s meant to hold liquid (and will on this teapot), but that’s mostly for ease of cleaning, and it’s what people expect from functional, modern pottery. I used to resent it because it looks very different from the outside, but I’ve gotten over it lol. I don’t glaze the whole thing because it turns my clay quite brown, which kind of ruins the vibe of what I’m going for.
I also have this sealant called Liquid Quartz. I put it on the inside of bowls that are decorated in the middle, but given how vitrified the stoneware is, it’s really not necessary on anything else. I do want to mess around with some low fire clay in the future, though, so I’d definitely use it for that.
But ultimately, different clays and different underglazes will look different as they mature. I started off using Amaco’s Jet Black underglaze, but it seemed to darken the red areas around it at Δ5. I’ve made some plant watering spikes out of bisqueware and I used it on those, and it did fine! Point being, trial and error and maybe finding a way to repurpose error. (One note on those plant watering spikes: they molded and mossed and mushroomed. I want to make some more, and I’ll put that Liquid Quartz stuff on the top half to see how it does.) Different underglazes will range from matte to satin without a glossy clear on top, depending on brand and temperature.
And lastly (I mentioned I tend to go long, right?), I’ve recently started sanding my pots with a fine grit sandpaper once they’re done. I used to be averse to it since I didn’t want to mess up the painting, but I’ve gotten better at applying a thick coat, and I mostly do it in the bigger negative spaces. This isn’t really pertinent to your question, but I’ve found it worth it in my process.
Your pot looks great, by the way! I love the extra dimension that the sgraffito adds. Please let me know if you’ve got any questions, and good luck!!
This is a pomegranate jar in the kurinuki technique! It was a fun exercise, and I think I’ll play around with it again in the future. Explanation of kurinuki under the cut.
I started by slapping a solid ball of clay into a sphere-ish shape with a nub on top (all one piece, no additions). After I let it dry out just a touch, I took a chisel and started making those facets on the surface, going for decoration but also to shape the piece itself. I then very carefully carved into the nub at the top to make the pointy calyx bit. Again, no attachments, just carving away.
After it was allowed to dry a bit more, I took a wire and cut it in half to hollow it out.
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