I DON'T EVEN LIKE FISH

I don't think I have mentioned this before nor do I doubt anyone cares, but I don't really like fish. Cooked fish that is, I have never responded well to fish all the way back to school and fish-stick Fridays, there is something about the smell and texture that I just am not a huge fan of though I do happen to like sashimi and sushi. That being said, I find it odd that from day one, it seemed quite natural to paint, carve and slip-trail fish on bowl, plates, platters and trays as part of what I suppose is a tradition going back many centuries especially among slip-trail potters. Though I work with several fish designs, they come out rather differently using different technique such as slip-trailing, carving, stenciled and painted making for rather diverse imagery from terra cotta to porcelain, slipware to underglaze cobalt decoration and everything in between. The illustrated fish bowl was decorated rather quickly with a basic preconceived design and then various devices like the spirals are added to help fill the space and further articulate the design. As I said, I don't even really like fish but somehow they continue to find their way on to my plate no matter what I do.