Firstly Mr Yellow Golden Pheasant came out well from his firing. I like the two contrasting colours of yellow (obviously from the name!), and the dark black contrast. This vessel has two layers of slip (poured) and occasionally you can see the white clay underneath coming through.
I was using any tools that happened to be in my tool box, including metal kidney and turning tools. I now have two smart new sgraffito tools and the loan of a diamond tool for fine detail from Stella.
Results from the new tools.....is really revolutionary in my new sgraffito work.
I had thought I would focus on three breeds of endangered (African) animals. However Rob said that the process and presentation was actually more important than the breed, which I prefer as this gives me more scope for drawing available animals. I am still looking at endangered breeds and methods of conservation, whether moving, breeding in captivity or involving indigenous and local villagers.
I repaired this dish, which was porcellain, I do like the textured background though Rob thought it really unnecessary! This one was with the old 'tools'.
This is the cheetah. The slip was very thick, and it was a bit like carving. I had used both orange and yellow slips in different areas underneath. I tried to use the pattern on the rolled out clay of a string vest to enable me to 'uncover' spots. It worked to a certain degree.
With the work in the labs this week, I used the acetates of the Canada Lynx and also the most recent drawings of the Southern White Rhinos to create a printed paper image to used as a template. With the back of sgraffito tool - pointed end, I transferred the image lightly onto the damp slip so I could just see it. A very good helpful process, and making the process of producing the finished platter much quicker. I just used one coat of black slip poured on for the rhinos (over Berlin Grey clay) and for the Lynx platter, I used Special white stoneware, again with black slip poured over.
With pattern from Indigenous Canadian people.
I am going to experiment with borders, liking the process so far!
This is the finished piece. It developed a few hairline cracks....I had hoped glazing might mask this, however one remained. I used the Stephen Murfitt glossy stoneware transparent, which I had mixed more of, as I seemed to have been lucky with a glaze with good colour response, reliable and nice and shiny!
I was warned by Cath that all stoneware glazes do not necessarily sit well on porcelain, and the glaze may have been a bit thick. I think this was what happened with this piece, which was porcelain. I did not dislike the effect though. Its softer. I thought I might repair the crack with Kintsugi.
I do see how sgraffito lends itself to patterns, even on animals. Feeling my way with the new tools, a bit of a game changer.
Lastly I rolled out some white special stoneware again, this time quite thinly. Drying was aided by the good weather. I rolled it round a round plaster form covered in newsprint to aid the removal of the vase from round the edge. I used painted on slip this time. This dries much quicker and I experimented with a much lighter touch with the tool to create some drawings on the vase. Again I had worked from a paper template. I found that instead of looking out my photos on one drive, it was quicker and easier to photocopy the acetate with the backdrop of a white paper sheet...or simply just copy the drawing on the copier. I also found I could alter and shrink the image size. Good for different images at different distances. The above rhino platter is a combination of 3 images, some altered in size.
I have been looking at other artists who use sgraffito. The one which I see most often is Reiko Myagi, a Japanese artist based in USA. From what I can gather from her videos, she draws first in ug pencil, then blocks out the areas she doesn't want slip (or oxide/underglaze) on with wax. Then washes over the black slip on unwaxed areas. Then she uses the underglaze tool to refine the shape and sgraffito the image. I do like her work, seems very simple but a few processes involved.
I have written more about the sgraffito process in my Reflective Journal.
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