Testing a water etching technique

I decided to try Amy Roberson's water etching technique that was featured in the May/June issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.

I made some tiles, waited until they were leather-hard, and then applied damp circle shapes (made of paper)

I brushed glossy Mod Podge over the tiles and waited for it to dry

Then I carefully removed the paper (using an x-acto blade)

There's bare clay wherever the paper had been. I used a wet sponge to sand it away. I went a little overboard on the tile on the left - you can see I accidentally sanded away the Mod-Podge and wrecked the pattern. Oops. I'm so clumsy.

This tile looks good though! I can't wait to see how it looks glazed.

I'm excited to try this technique on some cups and saucers. Our shino and translucent glazes will show off the relief pattern pretty well, I think.

You can see Amy Roberson's work at http://www.amyrobersondesigns.com/

Photos from "The Potter's Kitchen" show

Setting up

More setting up - there's Moira, Gordon, Ken, and Elisse

Some of our work (prior to set-up):

Mark Lapczenski

Me (Sue Kirchgessner)

Judy Wach

Joe Morris

We set up a large farm-style table with a place setting from each potter.

Sue Peplin

Leah Gary ("The Solar System - In Memory of David Bowie")

Leah Gary ("My Mother's Hutch") with my miniature dining table and rug.

A detail of Leah's miniatures

Bowls

Silly Rabbit!

I re-fired this bowl and was able to fix the glaze crawling issue

Plates

10-inch plate - looks grreat!

7-inch plate

7-inch plate

Cups and Saucers

Our busy studio

Just a couple of shots of our busy studio at BayArts. We're all getting ready for "The Potter's Kitchen"

Painted the last two plates for "The Potter's Kitchen"

I painted my past two plates for "The Potter's Kitchen." I'm pretty concerned about the pink flowers on the elephant plate - I unfortunately didn't learn about the light pink underglaze issue until after this plate was put into another kiln. Who knows - maybe I'll get lucky?

Minor issues

Having some problems with the Amaco light pink Velvet Underglaze - I've used it for years, but for some reason the clear glaze is pulling away from it.
 

It looks pretty bad, and those pockmarks go right down to bare clay. The same thing happened on the Tiger plate as well. I'm attempting a refire.

Not too sure about this tiger...

...but I guess I'll glaze it anyway.

Silly rabbit

Dig 'em

Another cereal bowl, ready for glazing

Magically delicious

Strawberry poison dart frog (in progress)

On a bromeliad. Dig 'em.

Breakfast dishes

Fresh out of the kiln, Saturday morning breakfast dishes

Glazes (from left to right, interior/exterior): Laguna Desert Yellow/Laguna Emeraud; Laguna Brilliant Sunburn/Coyote Mocha Shino; Laguna Wheat/Coyote Gunmetal Green;  Laguna Hyacinth/Laguna Cerulean

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo with plumeria

Toucan

Bumblebee with dahlias

Cuckoo for cocoa puffs (in progress)

That's a chestnut winged cuckoo

Another try at a toucan (in progress)

Did you say "nuts and honey?"

I hope this turns out better than the toucan bowl!

Not so great

I wanted the painting to look graphic and simplified, but instead it looks unfinished. I'll have to try again.

Besides, my glaze coverage on the exterior is uneven - the light spot in the upper right is practically bare clay. I have a large pile of bisqueware on my worktable awaiting decoration, so I have plenty more chances to get it right.

Cereal bowl (in progress)

Just follow your nose!

Angelfish (and goldfish too)

The new angelfish ornament design

Whoops, I meant to make their eyes red!

I like the crackle glaze, but the metallic black needs to be thicker

And here are two more goldfish. The glazing got a bit thick.