My work is made with earthenware clay. The colorful functional pots are made by transferring colored slips from newsprint onto a slab of clay. The slab is then draped over a mold to form the shape of the pot. Depending on the pot, a foot ring and rim are added.
After the pot has completely dried, it is “bisque" fired to cone 04 in an electric kiln. A clear glaze is then applied to the interior areas to make the piece food safe. A second firing to cone 05 completes the process.
In this example, I started with a slab and applied black underglaze to it. On a piece of newsprint, I painted stripes with colored slips. I easily tore the newsprint into strips using the grain of the paper and a straight edge. The strips were placed face down onto the slab while both the slab and the strips were still damp (dull sheen). I used a rubber rib to compress the newsprint onto the slab. I slowly removed each strip to reveal the colored slab.
Work in process: MUGS!
