Iris and the Peacock

After meeting with my client and collector of early American pottery, I was able to draw upon his ideas and interest in my work to design a custom piece for his collection.

To start the building process, I begin with a thrown form. I then applied additional clay to form handles, a bottled neck and squared off sides. Once the piece was hard enough, I made a plaster mold of the original form. I then emptied  and cleaned the mold of the original and poured a porcelain slip for the casting. When the new molding form is almost dry, I clean and sand the form for a perfect finish. The piece is the fired in a kiln once to harden and burn out impurities and then fired again to apply a clear glaze.

After this grueling process, the piece is ready to paint. I gather my resources, pick up a brush and begin laying the design around the form. I use China Paints for the surface and though multiple layers of paints and firings the piece is complete.