Ceramics, weeks 6 and 7

It's been disappointing that there has been no porcelain casting slip available for the past three weeks. After my success with the black-and-white porcelain I wanted to get on with using more metalic threads for subtle effects and slumpy shapes, but that will have to wait. Meanwhile the black and white pieces that came out of the kiln so long ago are sitting in a vitrine at the entrance to the building, with a little explanation that these are personal research combining textiles and ceramic and using colour to define the forms (not my wording!) -

I had hoped to cast a flat piece, which was embellished with metallic organza and gathered (and steamed to keep the pleats), but ended up using it to texture some paper clay -

That didn't make me at all happy, though, so I started poking at some leftover paper clay with my pencil to create an interesting texture -

With a bit of flattening and further poking, it started to look quite interesting -

and after a while I had two "chimneys" to put in the kiln -

Unfortunately they were still in the kiln at the next class, so I won't know how they turned out ... and whether I want to make more using this technique ... till next week.

In the interim I had made various textile shapes for dipping -

and the plan was to dip into earthenware casting slip, then fire it at stoneware.

Before and after 

During

Dip and drip

This one will be upside down, but it'll be wobbly (three legs good, four legs wobbly...)

Painted, not dipped; supported with paper

Dried with a hair dryer so it doesn't collapse

Seven pieces ready for the kiln