ONE MORE NEW ASSIGNMENT

I have often admired and collected other Ceramic artist's workss.

Last school year while visiting my son and his fiance',

they took me to a very special Native Plants garden in Sun Valley, 

called the Theodore Payne Foundation

where in their gift shop I found the most delicate nature inspired Porcelain plates.

Immediately I thought my students could make these.

Of course I had to buy one for myself  :)

They became a very popular new assignment for my Ceramics I students.

First I had them collect small dried leaves, twigs, bugs and flowers

 and press them into the bottom of clay stamps we made.

We weren't able to pull them out of the clay before I fired them 

because as the clay dried it shrink around them,

so I loaded the stamps into the kiln

 and the nature parts burnt away as the stamps went up to 1800 degrees,

bisque temperature.

In fact,

they were so much fun that I made a few myself for Xmas gifts for the staff in the office.

The largest one abovewas probably only 3" by 3".

The longest next to it 5" by 2".

A close up below.

I cranked these out one afternoon after school,

and needed about 20ish to account for breakage and chipping.

Plus I wanted to keep one for myself  (above right).

One of my custodians walked into my room when I was making them 

and put dibs on the center elongated one in the top photo.

The smallest,

 after shrinkage were these two end pieces above,

about 1 1/2" by 1 1/2".

I had so much fun working in the Porcelain,

 especially so small and with such thin slabs.

After they were bisqued fired I had the help of one of my talented T.A.'s last year,

Lynette Lee,

 who applied most of the ceramic watercolors in the center areas.

Then they were dipped into our Transparent glaze and fired to 2150 degrees.

Soon I will post the gorgeous pieces the students made,

so STAY TUNED!!