Greetings!!
Yesterday the question was asked, "how long does it take to make one of those plates?" So I thought I would share a little bit about what goes into making a plate. With these plates I already had several in bisque so that is where I started. But normally I would first have to either pour a mold or throw the plate on the wheel, which adds on time. Most likely I would pour the mold as I am not really proficient at throwing on the wheel at this time. It has been a number of years and I am really out of practice. It is like starting over, LOL.
Anyhow, to pour a mold requires liquid clay called slip. (I don't have pictures of this part currently, just trying to give you a bit of an idea). Depending on how thick you want the piece you are pouring it can take about a half hour to get to the right thickness. Then you would dump out the excess slip and let the mold sit. I usually pour one day and remove the cast piece from the mold the next day. At that point the piece is what is referred to as leather hard. You can handle it carefully without destroying the form. It has to dry completely before it can be fired in the kiln. That can take from one or two days up to a week if it is extremely humid out. I don't rush the drying process because it could crack. Once dry, clean off any seam lines and imperfections and off to the kiln it goes for a bisque firing.
And this is where my pictures begin, LOL.
Once in bisque, I draw on a pattern in pencil. Don't worry, the pencil lines will fire out in the next kiln firing.
On this particular plate I spent a little more time than I normally do because I kept changing the pattern a bit, LOL. Then I start adding in color. 2 - 3 coats of underglaze depending on how deep I want the color and if I want to do any shading.
Still painting!! If I recall this plate took me about 4 hours to paint, but like I said, I kept tweaking the pattern along the way, LOL.
I did some more fine tuning and a little shading, then two good coats of clear glaze went on top of this after I let it dry thoroughly. I like to use a crafter's heat gun to help the drying along. It saves a lot of time!! There are 3 different colors of blue on this plate.
The picture below is not the same plate but I wanted to show you what the clear glaze looks like before it is fired. Yes, that green color will turn clear when it is fired, LOL.
Once it is dry it goes in the kiln. Please keep in mind I work on several pieces at a time to get a full kiln load. It takes about 5 hours to fire my kiln and another 12 or more to cool completely before I can open it. I usually fire one day and wait to open it until the next morning. That way i am sure it is cool enough. Opening the kiln too soon can result in cracked or broken pieces. The hardest part is the waiting. The temptation is great to just take a little peek but don't, you will regret it.
There are three layers in this kiln load. Using posts to hold the shelves for the layers. Pieces cannot touch or they will be fired together permanently. The posts and shelves are specifically made for the kiln.
And here is the finished plate!! Available on my web site at www.parker-house-pottery.com
I am typically working on at least 6 items at a time so it is a bit difficult to put an exact time frame on each piece. But this gives you a general idea of the process. I love what I do!! To me it is very relaxing and therapeutic. I hope you enjoyed this little post!!
Until next time,,,,,,
Nice to see the whole process of your creation, not just the final result, albeit impressive in its own right!
Thank you!! I think showing the process makes it seem more real and not just some factory made knock-off. It also gives you a sense of just how long something handmade can take to do. :-)
I love the light blue colors of the plate, it's so gorgeous. I'll check out your website as i'd love to see more of your designs x
Thanks Charlie!!! Been re-working the web site the last couple of days and realized there are several pieces I have not photographed yet to add to the site, LOL. A small business owner wears many hats and the work is never done!! Today I am off to get some repair work done on my car, but will be back in the shop tomorrow, making things and taking more pictures, LOL.