I have been playing a bit
applying two coats of slip, one white and one black at the same time using two
brushes at the same time, a technique I first saw in Japan in the early 90's. Back
at CSU I set about replicating the layered slip look and despite not having done
this in a long while it seems to have worked out okay right out of the gate.
The saffron glazed bowl had the exterior slip applied while holding two brushes
in one hand resulting in this swirled look where the black goes on first and
the white just over it. It is a rather simple idea leading to simple results
but on this rather formal bowl form and with the design carved through to the
clay it all fits neatly together and the pronounced black lip sets off the pot
rather well. The rich clay body is the clay that I have been making up in small
batches and it has just enough iron in it to show through the thin slip on the
interior and mesh well with the saffron glaze. I would like to think the bowl
has an overall folky look to it with a bit of inspiration from old English and modern Fujina style slipware pottery.
"Inspiration arrives as
a packet of material to be delivered." John Updike
.JPG)