The Process
 Oxides to color clay added to liquified clay body |  Colored clay reconstituted to workable medium |
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 Alternating layers of colored clays assembled into beginnings of block…there are many different ways to put these together from patterned to figural. |  Layers ready to be shaped into block |
 Clay block ready to be cut into slabs which will reveal pattern |  Stripes revealed |
 Rolling slab to form into vessel |
Nerikomi
Many of my functional pieces are made with a process called Nerikomi, a Japanese clay art where colored clays are fashioned into a block and slabs from that block are cut and made into pieces. Here is a series of photos that I took to better explain the process so you will know what is involved in their creation:
Slab Built Vessels
These vessels are created from slabs and formed one piece at a time. Once the base vessel is completed, I carve a design into the surface and bisque fire the piece. Once the piece is bisque fired, I use glazes to bring the surface design to life most often with themes from nature and the gifts they bring us. Glaze firing at a medium firming temperature (2172 deg F) fuses the glazes into their final form but the heat always gets the last word…and I always cross my fingers that the results will be to my liking!
These vessels are often approximately 20” tall and are not meant to be functional pieces. They are a hybrid between a painting and a sculpture.
Here are a few pictures of one my of vessels to illustrate what I have shared.
 Base vessel form completed, surface design in process |
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 Base vessel form completed, surface design in process. |
 Painting in the round. Images of the final piece entitled, “The Gift of Leaves.” |