Testing underglaze pencils and making ‘functional’ pieces

Mugs, underglazed and clear glaze

I wanted a way to merge the small patterns with painting from my earlier work, and add more texture to the clay itself (difficult to see, but walls have been pinched to create dimples throughout rather than a flat surface)

I started by experimenting with organic shapes and how clay could flow. I learned a lot about how to handle clay, hand build, and how glazes (pic 3) could fire significantly differently than you intended them to, during this period I experienced many failed/cracked/ugly pieces.

Left: Vase, clear glaze

Middle: Vase, unglazed

Right: Vase, blue crystalizing glaze (failed)

Continuing with the functional theme, I wanted to try making sets with a common motif, and continue exploring the spiral and wave design from my butter dish. I liked the repeated small design and wanted to continue exploring that.

Left: Salad Tongs, underglaze and clear glaze, Middle: Set of Plates, underglaze and clear glaze, Right: Sugar dish and Spoon, underglaze and clear glaze

Keeping with the original shapes motif (spirals and waves), I tried new patterns of repeated small designs and incorporated more colors onto the patterns I already had.

Left: Mugs, underglaze and clear glaze

Right: Pie Dish, underglaze and clear glaze

Current Work

I am currently continuing to explore the idea of a gallery mug, but playing with different patterns, textures, and paintings to tell different stories and evoke certain memories.

Here, I wanted to experiment with more architectural shapes, and began using underglaze to paint designs.

Vase Bookends, underglazes exterior clear glazed interior

More experimentation of ‘functional’ pieces (merging structure with organic shape) and playing with underglaze. Liked the shape, but not the totally painted pieces.

Butter Dish, painted underglaze and clear glaze