Clay in the garden



Chamomile and thyme grow between slabs and creep over the edges.

 

Stoneware fired with oxides - needs more colour.



 

Bluebird, I think this will go in the kiln again to add more colour.



The path, and indeed the whole garden, is a work in progress

 so these slabs are scattered around.

 There's an owl somewhere too.

Painting on Porcelain

Now that Christmas gifts have been exchanged and enjoyed I can show these mugs I decorated for my nieces.

Encouraged by Clive's enamelware I used Marabu porcelain paints.   

Combined with an enamel coffee pot stacked with chocolate and marshmallows - yum!

The paints are quite thick and the curved, shiny surface was a challenge, but I got the hang of it - after cleaning off and restarting a few times. I'm not confident about the claim that the colour will be dishwasher safe. I think they're best used for items that don't get a lot of wear and tear. 

A nice way to personalise a gift though.

Porcelain Tiles

For decoration only!

Festive Birds

 I made a batch of little porcelain ornaments as gifts.
The designs are based on medieval stone carvings.

 As ever, my chum the robin has to be in on the scene

 - his territory I guess.



Pretty Things

 Galloping gazelles!

 Indonesian dancer's jewelry catching the sun and casting shadows.

This little ornament in my work room is made up of a wrist cuff and hair decorations. The flowers, leaves and deer are on springs so that, when dancing, they vibrate and add to the delicacy of movement.

My photographs of Indonesia are tucked away in the loft but here's a photo from the net of a dancer in costume.



Medieval Style

Looking for ways to create backgrounds for my ceramic decoration I found myself going back

 to Gaston Phoebus and his "Livre de Chasse".
Last time I looked at this work I was utterly charmed by the love and attention bestowed upon the hounds.
These particular images though, show the beasts that man and his dog will hunt.
Each animal is portrayed in its ideal surroundings - its Eden.

Each painting shows: "This is what this beast is about! This is where it's happiest."

I find them touching and joyful.

Sentimental? 

 I like the way the artists stylised plants and trees and used layering of colours,
 especially on trees.

The influence of medieval paintings is clear in the work of British "Arts and Crafts" artists and designers such as William De Morgan and William Morris. 

William Morris & John Henry Dearle 1890

  Lovely specimen wild flowers and decoratively arranged foliage.

The Huntsman, CFA Voysey 1919

I do like it when plants are specific and identifiable in artwork. Animals and birds too.

I am reminded of Casa di Livia

Thrush.

Quince.

 Blackbird.

A couple of buxom pigeons in there too.



Painting on Clay

 Two little slabs of clay for the garden!

 I'm trying a variety of decoration techniques for my ceramic garden tiles.

These are painted with coloured slips and oxides - no glaze

- and then high fired, so they should be tough and weather proof.

This is a nice, quick way of decorating.

In future I will be a little bolder with the colours and marks.

I could see them incorporated into a wall

 like these in Derbyshire. 



Hare in a Landscape

Linocut hare pressed into stoneware and coloured with slips and oxides.
Click on the photo for full image.

I enjoyed working directly into the soft clay and I like this soft matt finish.

He looks a bit cute, still too rabbity, but the speckles are great.

 Here he was as a print from the lino.

Blackbird and Berries

A winter blackbird porcelain tile.

 A gift for my friend.

Nice to have a splash of bright colour in my work for a change.

Brown Hare

He has been a long time coming but at last my first glazed hare!

This was a linocut pressed into stoneware clay and cut out.

I splattered and painted him with oxides before glazing with honey glaze.

 I'm very happy with the speckled texture and how the relief texture from my linocut comes through.

More hares to come in porcelain and in slips.



Kabuki Inspired Clay

Last year I was inspired by Japanese woodcuts of kabuki actors.

I love how the voluminous fabric of their costumes takes over.

  I drew them into clay. 

I liked their simplicity at bisque.

 They stayed like this for months but I final got around to completing their robes.

Although flat, they have supports enabling them to stand up.

Perhaps I'll get more of my flat pieces to stand in future.

Sgraffito

I thought some of my sketches might transfer well to this technique.

I have scratched through a thin layer of white slip to the terracotta clay beneath.

When fired the brown will be a lovely brick red and I think I'll use a honey glaze to make the white slip a soft yellow.

I'm trying out a number of techniques for decorating my tiles. The drying, firing and glazing all take time.

I need the patience of a potter.



New Project

William De Morgan

 I have long been an admirer of late 19th century Arts and Crafts artists and designers such as William Morris and William De Morgan. The ceramics of this era utilised such beautiful coloured transparent glazes and underglaze decoration but De Morgan's red lustre ware is particularly special.

 In his animal tiles I can see influences from medieval tiles, stained glass and carved decoration.

Sometimes he depicts fables or folklore. 

 De Morgan was also heavily inspired by Islamic designs. He used Islamic motifs but he also incorporated the feel of Islamic decoration into his own designs with swirling foliage. Ornament fills every space and the diagonal aids flow in repeating tiles.

 I have a ceramic project in mind and I will use William De Morgan as inspiration.

My ceramics will be for the garden. I particularly love the animals but prefer to concentrate on native creatures, the sort that might be spotted on walks.

I'd better get drawing then.



New Work

 Two of my latest porcelain bowls.
These are a bit bigger than my previous ones and, I think, a better balance of bowl and foot.
They could actually be used for eating from.
I have learnt quite a lot about using this clay now: when to do each stage of making and what you can get away with.
They do take a long time, however.

Some little trials with bone china to create tiles.

 I need more green glaze on the background but I think the images work well.

Thank you to my tutor Emma, for making my work look so nice in the college exhibition.