Nine piece ceramic plate set. Exploring ways to use earthenware as a canvas for glaze to emulate watercolor.
Ceramic Plate Set
This is a set of 9 plates that form a self portrait of sorts. As with much of my work, I explore different ways to present images that speak to me, perhaps exhausting what I’m itching to tackle before moving on to a different subject.
I have used this set for snacks when hosting some book and art group meetings. It was interesting to me to see the friends carefully select what they wanted to nibble from. Now my dear sister and best friend owns them, much to her delight, and my pleasure.
These little plates were samples for me to try to understand how to proceed with painting on ceramics. How can I make earthenware my “canvas”. What joy to experiment with different mediums to achieve this during the summer before my school year-long sabbatical.
In requirement for sabbatical I was contractually required to continue my graduate studies with 18 credit hours. Drawing and painting professor, Aaron Brooks, agreed to mentor this exploration – he knew the paint. I knew the clay. We’d meet weekly to discuss how I was approaching the Majolica technique, and he offered honest critiques on the work. He challenged me often with one question. WHY? Why square? Why #9? (or 8, 12, 7) Why faces? Why 7”x7”? Why smooth primer? Why figure over ground? Value/contrast. Philosophy + craft — Art= (content) + (form).
Other grad classes explored the chemistry of color and a myriad of other lessons to expand and explore my knowledge base of hands on work and mental challenges. To learn, explore, grow. To be a student again was sheer joy and gratification.
These little plates 5” square plates were made after the 8 samples above. Green Boy was my faces from the Pequea group of seven from my first bronze casting work in 1998. I have never tired of this face and many iterations of it is found on this website. The are featured below individually.
Example of a mini nine plate set as another self portrait of sorts.
The experimentation of glaze as watercolor continues in this sweet little mini set of nine plates. Petit-Fours are perfect for these with a nice cup of tea or espresso.
The edges show a hint of the red ware earthenware clay. Bisque fired to cone 06-05 and is painted with a white glaze coat in the Majolica tradition. This becomes the ground coat as gesso is for paint. At this point I’m starting to master this to take on the look of watercolor. Underglazes are painted on top of this surface and then back into the kiln.
Glaze fired to cone 04, the surface is glossy and the colors melt more into a soft painterly appearance. I under fired all the sculptural faces in the clay series to maintain a matte surface on them. I felt the reflections of the glossy surface was too distracting on the 3D versions of that body of work.
The four 7” square plates here were the beginnings of experimentation with glazes in and attempt to emulate watercolor painting on paper. Sabbatical work 07-08.
Process
The challenge was always, WHY?
Size, why? Face, why? Square, why?
Ceramic glaze painter's palette of color..
Glaze sample reference "swatches".
Plate 3 of 9, top left corner of plate order. Experimenting with glazes to give the appearance of watercolor.
Plate 4 of 9, facing left eye. The plates are earthenware, redware and are about 7½” square. Majolica-like glaze application.
Plate 8 of 9, lips and chin. Unlike the matte finish of the clay face series, serving plates are fired hotter for the gloss finish.
I have a hand made coptic stitched binding journal using paste paper to document the sabbatical. My penchant for journaling.
Study I — Green Boy 5' square.
Study II — Green Boy 5' square.
Study III — Green Boy 5' square.
Number eight of nine in the mini plate set.
Sample glaze work to emulate watercolor painting on paper. Dark, brooding, 7”sq.
Sample glaze work to emulate watercolor painting on paper. Brighter, 7”sq.
Sample glaze work to emulate watercolor. Starting to feel the look is better.
Sample glaze work plate four. 7" sq. Test sample plates to reference as I continued.