Each piece starts our as a formless lump of earthenware clay. I form the vessel on a potters wheel, and use a slab roller to roll out and then cut the tiles. When the piece reaches the leather-hard stage I draw a design onto the surface, and then, using a variety of tools I carve the surface of the clay creating deep relief and detail.
Once the piece
has dried to the greenware stage, I lightly sand it to remove any sharp
edges. Then I apply the color by painting the surface with terra sigilatta,
a refined clay slip.
After the pieces are painted they are loaded into the kiln and fired for
the first time (bisque firing). Next, I apply either black glaze or copper
wash to the entire surface, let it dry and wipe it off. The glaze or wash
remains in the recessed areas, creating the bold black lines. The work
is then loaded for the final glaze firing.
The terra sigilatta is made by combining several
clays, water, and a defloculent (a material that keeps the clay particles
in suspension). I put this mixture into a ball mill and process it for
24 hours.
This
mixture is then poured into a jar and left to sit for a week, during which
it separates into three layers. I use the middle layer. This is my white
base to which I add ceramic stains to produce my basic colors which I
then combine to come up with my own palette of colors.