SPIRAL BLOSSOMS

I have been working with this ishime surface for quite some time now, dating all the way back to Cleveland State. In that time it has been used in a variety of ways including being glazed in clear or transparent glazes as well as some opaque ones as well. It is enjoyable playing with this from time to time and that brings us to the illustrated mizusashi form which makes use of black, white and iron engobe slips to complete the surface which includes panels of applied color and inlaid spiral blossoms filling the spaces between each panel top and bottom.

The lid and foot as well as the interior are glazed but the rest of the surface relies on the engobes to complete the surface which is loosely based on a combination of early 20th century wallpaper and Japanese kimono design. This rather simple, straight sided pot was made out of stoneware but occasionally I use porcelain for this technique and they can be a nice distraction from the normal glazing process even though I make very few of these pots, just another day and another way from keeping from getting bogged down and as always the music helps out as well.