Earthenware Art

These pieces have all been fired up to 1000c, and as they are fired only up to vitrification they are slightly porous. For those ceramic articles which have a functional element I have fired them a second time with a transparent glaze to seal the surface which allows the ceramic to hold liquids.

The ceramics here have been made using earthenware clay, both terracotta clay and also white earthenware clay. I find the white earthenware clay to be more useful in painting finer details on pieces such as in the vinegrette bottle as details can be painted directly onto the white clay body resulting in a more clearly defined image on the white background. For me the one big advantage in using earthenware clay is that more bright and colourful surface decoration is possible as the colour is less likely to burn out in the kiln at these lower temperatures, unlike the stoneware glazes which are fired to +1260c.