Birch work -Slip resist with sgraffito’d details..
Because porcelain tends to slump when it is so horizontal, I use stoneware in a slump mold. (I’ve found various delightful molds at the junk store.)
As soon as I put the slab in the mold, I cover the surface with white slip.
Because I am working with two different clays- stoneware in the mold and porcelain slip- there is a slightly different shrinkage and I want the two clays to bond as much as possible when they are the wettest.
After the piece gets near leather hard, I tear up a bunch of newspaper strips and wet them and the surface of the tray. Wetting them helps them to stick down to the piece. The “frondy” edges of the torn paper also tend to stick more than a cut edge.
After they are down I apply a contrasting slip- in this case blue-
and after letting it set up until it is no longer shiny but long before it dries, I pull up the strips.
Here it is with all the strips pulled up.
you can see places where the blue slip “snuck” under the paper- I will either draw over it or carefully scrape it off the white.
After that, I go back in with a drawing stick and define at least one edge of the tree (thanks to Stephanie M. for that suggestion)and make all those little marks that are so distinctive to birches.
This one (above) is not even dry-certainly not fired or glazed.
Glazing- I thought I would try a clear glaze on one
(here it is- some small piece of the kiln stuck to it)
and on another, some soda ash water for a matte finish with possible orange flashing.
I have tried quite a few finishes on these trays.
I’m trying to find something that enhances it by turning the carved lines brown (as opposed to the gray of the clear glaze above) but without changing the white of the birches. I’ve not been completely successful.
Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Under Celadon- glossy finish…y’know, I think I painted red iron oxide into the lines on this one and wiped it off.
Under shino and wiped off lightly- matte finish
under Rutile Blue and (badly?) wiped off- matte finish
This next one below, took too long and I worried too much. This is shino wiped off and then clear painted on. If those two meet, they look awful together, bubbling, etc. NOTE* upper left corner, you can see where the slip did not bond to the stoneware- it can be a problem- and flaked off. Darn!
but of all the finishes (and this is just a little too matte) this is probably what I was shooting for.
above is (from bottom to top) a spring that has not been stretched at all, a regular wire (you can also use a cheese cutter )for flat cuts and that same type spring all stretched out and ready to use.
At one point I cut all the way through but I just reattached that and re-cut it shallower.
She toned down the paps later on.
Not all the slip stuck but that gave it a cool texture and look.
put a fairly thick pad of clay over the coils. These were extra thick as they are meant to be garden pavers (stepping stone type things). Once they are in place, pound the back evenly with your fist or the flat of your hand. You may also use a rolling pin.
It’s hard to make a bad one!
