Autumn Harvest ceramic majolica, decorative serving tray. Hand painted root vegetables, carrots, radishes, parsnip/turnips and beets. for just $67.00 Majolica, a serving tray with carrots, radishes, parsnip, turnips and beets, hand painted and arranged to have the look of a full tray of food always. Resembling a water color painting. Clients that have bought my work often hang these types of trays on the wall. One of my clients also bought a supply of my trays to keep in his gift closet. So that when dinner guests remarked on the lovely serving trays at dinner, he would package up a plate of treats or desserts to take home with them on one of my trays. I myself when invited to dinners have paired up a tray with cookies as a hostess gift. This theme of majolica started way back in my stoneware days. In class we were making plates on the wheel and one of the instructors suggested I ball up some clay and make a pea and place on the plate for a decorative effect. I did not put the pea on the plate but that idea has stuck with me through the years. Thus the vegetable themed majolica. The idea to place something unexpected, a surprise, something to make people think about what is going on here? I am never far from those thoughts as I am making my pottery. It allows me to be light hearted and pass that on to others, a gentle smile, something that connects us together. I believe that is what the arts do, whether it is music, visual, theater, writing and even the culinary arts. There, through the arts we find connection to each other. Rectangle in shape and measures 11" by 6.75" the edges stand about an inch high. Each piece of pottery is made in my front porch studio. Though small I make it work, but I make in stages. I fill a bisque kiln with green ware, raw dried clay. Once the greenware has gone through a bisque fire and removed from kiln the studio is cleaned up as I prepare to hand dip each piece. I can only dip as many as I have room for, so I may dip a part of the bisque ware at the time and as pieces are finished with painting and put in kiln in wait for the glaze fire, I will then glaze more. When the kiln is full I glaze fire this takes approximately 10 hours plus time to cool, because I like to warm up everything for about 6 hours before raising the temps. I use materials that are food safe, you may want to hand wash as I cannot guarantee their outcome in a dish washer. You can visit my Facebook page to see my work in progress and more info about me, Karen Bakers' Front Porch Studio .