A Piece of Cake: Clay Applique Decoration on Functional Pottery Make decorating your work a piece of cake! Katey Schultz

This is a blast from the past post that features some older work of Kari Radasch and her clay appliqué decoration technique. Though her work has evolved over time into her current awesome body of work, I thought I would repost this article from the Ceramic Monthly archives because her appliqué process is a great technique.

These older pots always reminded me of iced cakes (and I sort of want to take a bite out of them). But I don't just love them because of the "mmmmmm...cake" factor. Rather, quite simply, they are lovely, well-executed pots. It just so happens that Kari's process also relates to cake decorating. She works with her appliqué decoration in a similar way that a baker works with fondant. In today's post, Katey Schultz explains this layering process and shares Kari's clay body, slip and glaze recipes. So, sit back, grab yourself a piece of cake (because you are probably hungry by now), and read on. - Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

Clay Fondant: Clay Appliqué Decoration

I began working with clay appliqué decorations as a decorative technique because I was focused on hand cutting one-of-a-kind decorative tile for the floor of a small entryway on the side of our house. It very quickly took on a life of its own. I began by rolling 1/4-inch slabs and cutting out garden-inspired tile motifs. After amassing boards and boards of tile, I was able to see these objects clearly and understand on a much grander scale how they could be incorporated into my changing work. I loved the sharp edges, the planar nature and linear quality, and that they were at once both two-dimensional and three-dimensional. It seemed like an interesting contradiction to affix these flat "stickers" to a round pot.

Transferring this technique to dishes was straightforward, minus a few minor technical issues. The first was to change the thickness of the appliqué slab. I needed to go from tile to fondant. This was an easy shift as many years ago I had spent time working in a Berkeley studio that produced thinly rolled, delicate porcelain ornaments. However, once I started slicing the thinly rolled slabs I noticed that the edges were prone to tearing. This left me with shabby edges, and slip or glaze would not break nicely over them.

My solution was to shelve my handmade clay and use a commercially produced body to roll my appliqué slabs. This clay has been de-aired, which yields less tearing and has significantly more plasticity, allowing me to roll beautiful slabs and cut perfect stickers. Currently, I use whatever non-grogged earthenware I can find. I have not had any problems with fixing two different clay bodies together-though I always test before making work with a new clay.

The actual decorating process reminds me of drawing. I have my dish and my pre-leather hard clay appliqué decorative slab ready. I analyze the dish and make decisions about the most dynamic way to engage the space. These decisions are general, vague, gut-feelings, not hard and fast rules. From here I cut a series of shapes and motifs and start by placing them on the dish. I work them like a two-dimensional design problem moving the appliqué here and there. When I feel comfortable with a solution I start attaching: slipping, scoring, and sticking. Finally I let the work dry. (a bit slowly at first) If I am going to have any problems with the clay appliqué decoration popping off it will be during this stage of the drying. Once the pots are bone dry, I then dunk and pour the dishes in a bath of white slip that has the consistency of 2% milk and do my sgraffito drawings. After the pots are bisqued, I brush the entire pot in a clear glaze and sponge off the clay appliqué decoration. The application of color is made using the same clear base glaze with the addition of Mason Stains. I float a variety of thick frosting-like glazes on the raised surfaces and then glaze fire to cone 03.

Kari's Clay, Slip and Glaze Recipes

Radasch Redware Cone 03 

Pete Pinnell's White Slip

To learn more about Kari Radasch, visit www.kariradasch.com. If you'd like to purchase her work, visit her Etsy site.

**First published in 2009.