Jennifer Hill's Hypnotic, 12 in. (30.5 cm) in diameter, wheel-thown and altered porcelain, terra sigillata, underglaze, glaze, fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln, 2024.
The vast empty surface of a plate reads to me as a blank, three-dimensional canvas. My inspiration comes from botanical and sea forms, re-imagined as abstract imagery. The rim acts as an indulgent frame with a double split undulation, alluding to
water or wind. I make a Grolleg terra sigillata to apply to bare areas. A little burnishing gives the raw clay a satiny feel. Underglaze washes are applied in an ombre-like gradation and a clear glaze completes the interior surface for food contact.
1 Throw a plate with high sides and a thick rim. Split the rim with the rounded, pointy end of a wooden rib.2 Press below the rim from the exterior to create an undulation, resembling a wide spout. Repeat two more times.
3 Trace around a lid or similar form to create several circles, placed in relation to the rim’s waves.4 Use stamps made from natural texture (bark, bumpy rocks, etc.) to fill in the background around the circles.
5 Fill in blank spaces with alternating textures. Be creative and spontaneous as you develop the surface.6 The back side of the plate can be decorated as well. Try a design with similar aesthetic elements to the front.
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The vast empty surface of a plate reads to me as a blank, three-dimensional canvas. My inspiration comes from botanical and sea forms, re-imagined as abstract imagery. The rim acts as an indulgent frame with a double split undulation, alluding to water or wind. I make a Grolleg terra sigillata to apply to bare areas. A little burnishing gives the raw clay a satiny feel. Underglaze washes are applied in an ombre-like gradation and a clear glaze completes the interior surface for food contact.
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