Being able to create something that can be used both decoratively and functionally is one of my favorite things about working in clay. My work is illustrated with lively imagery of plants, animals, and the local landscape. The function of my work brings the viewer in contact with the illustrations and gives them a chance to investigate the form, surface, and drawings to form narratives relating to their own experience and relationships with the imagery. While still having a use, my work steers away from strict function and serves as decorative art as well.
I have been working with porcelain for nearly twenty years because of the way it lends itself to showcasing my drawings. Translucency is one of my favorite things about porcelain. For the last two years I have been working with cone-6 New Zealand Porcelain (which I buy from the Clay Art Center in Tacoma, Washington). I loved using a reduction gas kiln for most of my career, but that became less accessible for me in recent years. So, I was happy to find such a translucent clay body that I can work with in complicated ways. This has opened up the option to really work with the translucency to create different types of lighting, and these little double-walled teacups can also be used as beautiful luminaries.
Throw and Trim the Basic Forms
I make the double-walled cups in two parts: one interior piece and one exterior. Before beginning, weigh out two 10-ounce (283.5-g) balls of clay. First, take one ball and throw the outer piece as a bottomless form. Make a basic cylinder, then shape it with a rib. For this cup, I am making a yunomi shape with the foot thrown in rather than trimmed.
The second ball of clay is formed into a basic cylinder (this one is not bottomless). Use calipers to measure the exterior, making sure it will slide into the outside form. Measure the height of the inside form to make sure that it will drop almost to the bottom of the outer form but not quite. Flare out the rim a little bit so when you lower it inside the outer cup it will be wider at the top, catching on the outer cylinder’s rim, and will not fall all the way down. This way, you can join both parts and they are only touching at the top where you connect them. Allow both parts to firm up to nearly leather hard.
Next, trim any excess clay off the outer piece (1); this can be done by hand, and then trim the inner piece to give it a rounded bottom. Then, I wrap the inner piece in plastic while I design the outer part.
Design and Cut the Exterior Form
I do most of the work on the outer form when the clay is just shy of leather hard—still flexible but holds its shape. This is important because if the clay is too hard it can crack while cutting out the negative spaces.
To plan out the design, I use a dull pencil that will mark the clay a little, but not gouge a deep line into it. The key to these pierced forms is that all images and shapes that are not being cut and removed stay connected to each other so they don’t fall out when removing the negative space pieces. I make sure the holes/negative spaces are not too big and that they are distributed evenly around the piece. If they are too big, and there is little clay connecting space, the piece may warp in the kiln or dry unevenly, which could cause cracking.
For this project, I am making a Tree of Life/Orchard pattern. Start on the bottom and use a straight edge to make four marks evenly around the foot of the cup to help guide where to draw the trees (2). Then draw the largest trees making sure the branches connect and there aren’t any stray branches that can break off too easily or warp. After all the large trees are drawn, draw smaller trees between them (3).
After the trees are complete, draw a line around the form near the rim and another one about just above the foot (4). This creates a band around the top and bottom to hold everything together, and leaves a place to attach the inner cup.
After drawing all the trees in pencil, use a thin, sharp X-Acto knife or number 11 scalpel blade to cut out the shapes between the branches, being careful not to cut into the branch (5). Tip: Angle the knife slightly so that the cut piece comes out easily (6).
When all the holes are cut, use side of a needle tool to compress the corners and smooth them out (7), pressing it into each corner where two slices meet.
Next, use a small, wet, stiff paintbrush and a damp sponge to further smooth these edges. Keep the piece damp throughout the process. The form will begin to dry out while you are piercing the wall, so it’s important to monitor its moisture. Going over the wall’s exterior and interior with a damp sponge and brush keeps the form damp enough (8).
Join the Two Pieces
Now it is time to fit the interior cup into the exterior cup. Score the inside rim of the exterior cup and score the upper outside of the interior cup. There is usually some adjustment needed to get the inner and outer pieces to fit together snugly. Occasionally, the pieces appear to not fit together. However, when you score the rims with a serrated rib it generally removes enough material to make it fit better, and the water/slip helps it slide into place (9).
Once the interior piece fits deep enough, brush water onto the score marks, score some more, add more water, and then drop it down into the outer form. Press it down gently, compress the rim joint, and smooth the connection. If the interior piece is too tall, use a knife to trim it (10). Then, add a small coil around the point of connection and blend it in (11).
Surface Decoration
For decoration, use an inlay technique to add contour lines to the drawing. First, smooth the piece inside and out. Next, use an X-Acto knife to add contour lines to the positive sections of the image. Since you have been keeping the piece damp, it should be easy to carve these lines into the clay without too much cracking. The lines should be about 1–2 mm deep (12). If they are too shallow, they will wipe away when you stain the lines.
After all the lines are carved into the piece, lightly drape it with plastic to allow it to dry slowly. For the next few days, check the connections and branches periodically to make sure no cracks are developing. If they do, use the edge of a needle tool or the rounded end of a paintbrush to compress and smooth out any corners or places where cracks are or may develop.
When the piece is completely bone dry, brush a black wash (I use Mason Stain 6600 mixed with water) onto the outside of the piece, making sure it goes into all of the lines, but not on the inner part of the piece (13).
After a few minutes, when the piece is dry again, use a wet sponge (not dripping wet but still holding water) to wipe the black stain off the surface (14). Wipe with a clean part of the sponge each time, rinse it, and wipe again. After two passes with the wet sponge, wait a few minutes to let the surface dry again. Then, clean up any excess stain with the sponge, and use a damp brush to remove residue from any hard-to-reach spaces. Black stain should only remain in the incised lines. Allow the piece to dry fully, then bisque fire.
After bisque firing, use the Ceramic Watercolors recipe (see above) to add color to the piece. Most of my colors are made of the watercolor base or a porcelain slip (often from my throwing bucket) mixed with Mason stain, while some are commercial underglazes dried out in my ice cube tray palette.
Carefully brush on the desired color (15), paying attention to the layering and brush strokes because they will show after glaze firing. If the watercolor goes on unevenly, smooth it with your finger or a dry brush. You can also layer it with other colors to add depth. Finally, dip the whole thing into clear glaze and fire.
Autumn Higgins is a Portland, Oregon, based artist working mainly in functional porcelain. She earned an MFA from Louisiana State University and was an artist in residence at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis. She returned to Oregon in 2022 and maintains a busy studio practice and exhibition schedule, works as a ceramics instructor, and raises her two small children.
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Being able to create something that can be used both decoratively and functionally is one of my favorite things about working in clay. My work is illustrated with lively imagery of plants, animals, and the local landscape. The function of my work brings the viewer in contact with the illustrations and gives them a chance to investigate the form, surface, and drawings to form narratives relating to their own experience and relationships with the imagery. While still having a use, my work steers away from strict function and serves as decorative art as well.
I have been working with porcelain for nearly twenty years because of the way it lends itself to showcasing my drawings. Translucency is one of my favorite things about porcelain. For the last two years I have been working with cone-6 New Zealand Porcelain (which I buy from the Clay Art Center in Tacoma, Washington). I loved using a reduction gas kiln for most of my career, but that became less accessible for me in recent years. So, I was happy to find such a translucent clay body that I can work with in complicated ways. This has opened up the option to really work with the translucency to create different types of lighting, and these little double-walled teacups can also be used as beautiful luminaries.
Throw and Trim the Basic Forms
I make the double-walled cups in two parts: one interior piece and one exterior. Before beginning, weigh out two 10-ounce (283.5-g) balls of clay. First, take one ball and throw the outer piece as a bottomless form. Make a basic cylinder, then shape it with a rib. For this cup, I am making a yunomi shape with the foot thrown in rather than trimmed.
The second ball of clay is formed into a basic cylinder (this one is not bottomless). Use calipers to measure the exterior, making sure it will slide into the outside form. Measure the height of the inside form to make sure that it will drop almost to the bottom of the outer form but not quite. Flare out the rim a little bit so when you lower it inside the outer cup it will be wider at the top, catching on the outer cylinder’s rim, and will not fall all the way down. This way, you can join both parts and they are only touching at the top where you connect them. Allow both parts to firm up to nearly leather hard.
Next, trim any excess clay off the outer piece (1); this can be done by hand, and then trim the inner piece to give it a rounded bottom. Then, I wrap the inner piece in plastic while I design the outer part.
Design and Cut the Exterior Form
I do most of the work on the outer form when the clay is just shy of leather hard—still flexible but holds its shape. This is important because if the clay is too hard it can crack while cutting out the negative spaces.
To plan out the design, I use a dull pencil that will mark the clay a little, but not gouge a deep line into it. The key to these pierced forms is that all images and shapes that are not being cut and removed stay connected to each other so they don’t fall out when removing the negative space pieces. I make sure the holes/negative spaces are not too big and that they are distributed evenly around the piece. If they are too big, and there is little clay connecting space, the piece may warp in the kiln or dry unevenly, which could cause cracking.
For this project, I am making a Tree of Life/Orchard pattern. Start on the bottom and use a straight edge to make four marks evenly around the foot of the cup to help guide where to draw the trees (2). Then draw the largest trees making sure the branches connect and there aren’t any stray branches that can break off too easily or warp. After all the large trees are drawn, draw smaller trees between them (3).
After the trees are complete, draw a line around the form near the rim and another one about just above the foot (4). This creates a band around the top and bottom to hold everything together, and leaves a place to attach the inner cup.
After drawing all the trees in pencil, use a thin, sharp X-Acto knife or number 11 scalpel blade to cut out the shapes between the branches, being careful not to cut into the branch (5). Tip: Angle the knife slightly so that the cut piece comes out easily (6).
When all the holes are cut, use side of a needle tool to compress the corners and smooth them out (7), pressing it into each corner where two slices meet.
Next, use a small, wet, stiff paintbrush and a damp sponge to further smooth these edges. Keep the piece damp throughout the process. The form will begin to dry out while you are piercing the wall, so it’s important to monitor its moisture. Going over the wall’s exterior and interior with a damp sponge and brush keeps the form damp enough (8).
Join the Two Pieces
Now it is time to fit the interior cup into the exterior cup. Score the inside rim of the exterior cup and score the upper outside of the interior cup. There is usually some adjustment needed to get the inner and outer pieces to fit together snugly. Occasionally, the pieces appear to not fit together. However, when you score the rims with a serrated rib it generally removes enough material to make it fit better, and the water/slip helps it slide into place (9).
Once the interior piece fits deep enough, brush water onto the score marks, score some more, add more water, and then drop it down into the outer form. Press it down gently, compress the rim joint, and smooth the connection. If the interior piece is too tall, use a knife to trim it (10). Then, add a small coil around the point of connection and blend it in (11).
Surface Decoration
For decoration, use an inlay technique to add contour lines to the drawing. First, smooth the piece inside and out. Next, use an X-Acto knife to add contour lines to the positive sections of the image. Since you have been keeping the piece damp, it should be easy to carve these lines into the clay without too much cracking. The lines should be about 1–2 mm deep (12). If they are too shallow, they will wipe away when you stain the lines.
When the piece is completely bone dry, brush a black wash (I use Mason Stain 6600 mixed with water) onto the outside of the piece, making sure it goes into all of the lines, but not on the inner part of the piece (13).
After a few minutes, when the piece is dry again, use a wet sponge (not dripping wet but still holding water) to wipe the black stain off the surface (14). Wipe with a clean part of the sponge each time, rinse it, and wipe again. After two passes with the wet sponge, wait a few minutes to let the surface dry again. Then, clean up any excess stain with the sponge, and use a damp brush to remove residue from any hard-to-reach spaces. Black stain should only remain in the incised lines. Allow the piece to dry fully, then bisque fire.
After bisque firing, use the Ceramic Watercolors recipe (see above) to add color to the piece. Most of my colors are made of the watercolor base or a porcelain slip (often from my throwing bucket) mixed with Mason stain, while some are commercial underglazes dried out in my ice cube tray palette.
Carefully brush on the desired color (15), paying attention to the layering and brush strokes because they will show after glaze firing. If the watercolor goes on unevenly, smooth it with your finger or a dry brush. You can also layer it with other colors to add depth. Finally, dip the whole thing into clear glaze and fire.
Autumn Higgins is a Portland, Oregon, based artist working mainly in functional porcelain. She earned an MFA from Louisiana State University and was an artist in residence at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis. She returned to Oregon in 2022 and maintains a busy studio practice and exhibition schedule, works as a ceramics instructor, and raises her two small children.
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