Jeff has really been enjoying digging and processing the "wild" clay in our yard. When the area for our kiln shed was excavated, it exposed a lot of this luscious, orange, goodness. After blunging, screening, and drying on plaster, it was ready to be wedged and thrown.
Yesterday he finished one of the tea bowls he made, using the Mishima technique of inlaying slip. Jeff applies the slip with a brush. Then scrapes away the excess, which also pushes all of the slip into the stamped areas. When it's dry, he will sand away any remaining slip, using a green kitchen scrubbie.
There have been a lot of Mishima instructional videos on the internet lately and I have been a little disappointed when watching them, to discover that they aren't really about Mishima, it's about applying wax to clay, carving a design, and brushing on underglaze. While this technique produces some nice designs, it isn't Mishima by definition. Just call me a purist!
I think I read colored slip can also be used and is brushed across the carved design and then scraped away. I used this same technique in a Diana Fayt workshop. Let us know how the native clay pieces turn out.
ReplyDeleteYes the slip can be colored.
DeleteHope the new cay likes your kiln...can't wait to hear how it comes out.
ReplyDeleteJeff has fired this clay a few times since we bought the house. It fires a nice toasty color. Jeff posted a photo of a sake cup on the FB clay buddies post I did a couple of days ago.
ReplyDeleteGreat looking orange clay, finding that where the kiln shed was to be built would have encouraged digging deep foundations! The information about Mishima and the photos of Jeff at work are really interesting.
ReplyDeleteNow you have your own private gold mine!
ReplyDeleteI so agree with you about Mishima!
Gawdang that looks great :)
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