Dancing Iris Vase

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Details

Last Updated: Monday, 02 March 2015 20:25

Designer: William Pulse

 

Instructions

1. Begin with properly fired shelf cone 04 bisque. Moisten a clean sponge and wipe bisque to remove any dust.
2. In a plastic cup mix ½ jar of FN-222 Indigo with some water to a melted ice cream consistency. Pour the mixed color into the vase, while working quickly to roll the vase to cover the inside. Empty the excess color from the vase, invert to let dry. Wipe off any drips from the vase with a moistened sponge.
3. Apply 3 coats of UG-67 Ivory to the outside of the vase excluding the undercut edge of the vase with CB-604 #4 Soft Fan. This unpainted area will be glazed later.
4. On a palette place some UG-57 Spice Brown, UG-67 Ivory and UG-100 Terra Cotta. Load a moistened sponge with UG-67 Ivory, tip the top edge of sponge with some UG-57 Spice Brown. Blend color slightly on the tile by pouncing the sponge slightly. Place the darker color to the top edge of the vase. Pounce the sponge up and down to blend the darker color making it fade to the Ivory color. Repeat this along the bottom edge as well. To the handle areas, the color is along the crest of the handle ridge. *Note that the color should look faded and blend into the Ivory color. Reinforce the loading of the sponge with some UG-100 Terra Cotta and repeat this to the same areas. You should be able to see the darkest color fading into the Ivory background.
5. With an old stiff toothbrush dipped into the UG-100 Terra Cotta, pull a brush handle towards yourself to make the spatters of color on the vase. Keep these specks fine and non-clumping in appearance. You may wish to practice this before working on the piece to get a feel of the technique. Work in an area where you won’t spatter other pieces. Let dry.
6. Transfer the pattern onto the ware with AC-230 Clay Carbon Paper and a pencil.
7. Paint in the petals of the iris with UG-97 Bright Blue and UG-93 Wild Violet using CB-404 Pointed Round and CB-110 #10/0 Mini Liner. The leaves and stems are painted with UG-68 Apple Green using CB-404 #4 Pointed Round. Add some veins and detail stems with thinned down UG-222 Olive using CB-110 #10/0 Mini Liner. Paint in the stamen with UG-203 Squash Yellow and the CB-110 #10/0 Mini Liner.
8. Using SG-404 Blue to detail the petals on the iris. Using SG-405 Green to detail the leaves and stems. Let dry.
9. To the bottom edge of the vase apply 3-4 coats of FN-222 Indigo using CB-404 #4 Pointed Round or CB-604 Soft Fan.
10. Glaze the vase with 2-3 coats of S-2101 Crystal Clear Brushing using CB-604 #4 Soft Fan. Do not paint over the bottom edge already glazed.
11. Stilt and Fire to Shelf Cone 04-05. The higher temperature is needed to bring out the true colors of the Underglazes.