FEAST OF NATURE
My personal dining experience is depicted through three different ceramic vessels that each in their own ways represent the amazing cultural influences that have been exposed to me throughout my life.
The first of the three influences, my traditional Polish dining experience at my Babcia’s home. Dining tables adorned with intricate lace patterns or plain white linens, with elegantly detailed but yet rustic vessels filled to the brim of traditional Polish bites and mead. Candles, tinsel, hay, catholic and traditional figures, my grandmother has always carefully hand picked each item for every event.
The second influence is my own dining experience at my own home, born in Australia, on Australian soil. Our home and dining table always seemed like an overgrown Australian rainforest, vines hanging from the ceiling, plants in every corner, and flowers on any table my mum could find space for. Her and I always seemed to have an inner green thumb, and this was heavily apparent within the interior and exterior of our home.
However, our dining table would be far simpler than my Babcia’s. No fancy decorations or thick mead glasses, but instead, thin simple table runners, vases packed with Australian flora, simple but delicious food which were served on individual plates rather than self served.
Our dining ritual objects were often simple and rustic but in a more different way to my Babcia’s, this leads me to my final influence, Japanese food and ceramics. Ever since I was young my parents have always loved the Japanese kitchen and home, from kitchen knives, vases, decor, furniture, food, and culture. We have been to Japan twice in my lifetime and the influence is apparent within our dining table. I recall many sushi nights where I would spend the whole day preparing for a giant feast in the evening, my mum would often help me finish up and prepare the table. We would adorn it in our best and most beautiful Wabi Sabi inspired ceramics, with sake to go around.
LEAF TOKKURI FLASK
Porcelain slip fired to stoneware, coated with green oxides and clear gloss glaze.
LEAF PLATE
Porcelain slip fired to stoneware, coated with green and red iron oxides and clear gloss glaze.
WARATAH MEAD CUP
Stoneware slip fired, coated with green oxide and clear gloss glaze.
PROCESS
Myself slip casting for the first time, this project was my first experience using and experimenting with this media.
LEAF PLATE
The Leaf Plate was born through numerous experiments and iterations. Employing a combination of slip casting techniques and handcrafting methods, I brought this vessel to life.
My my chosen found object was a simple discovered leaf, which served as the inspiration for this project. Using scrap clay, I shaped the clay to mimic the leaf's natural form and size, ensuring a seamless fit for a one piece mold. Pressing the leaf firmly into the clay, I secured it in place to ensure it wouldn't move.
To create the mold, I assembled cottle boards, clamping them together and sealing any gaps with clay to achieve a watertight chamber. Once prepared, I mixed plaster with water, which I then poured into the mold, allowing it to dry for about thirty minutes. I then removed the cottle walls and carefully excavated the clay and leaf from the mold.
Patience was crucial as I left the mold to cure for an entire week. As this was my first mold I recall checking in on it almost every day. Afterwards, I smoothed the piece by sanding it down to perfection before proceeding in slip casting.
Throughout the creative process, I experimented with nearly a dozen different leaf iterations, facing both failures and successes, including unfortunate explosions and cracks.
Nevertheless, my dedication paid off when I created the final finish for the Leaf Plate. The slip casted piece underwent a preliminary bisque firing. I later applied green oxide, gently wiping it off to achieve the desired shade of green, and a drizzle of red iron oxide within the plate's interior. The piece was fired again to solidify the design.
Finally, I bestowed the Leaf Plate with a lustrous gloss by coating it with a clear gloss glaze, and it underwent the final firing, resulting in its stunning and complete form.
LEAF TOKKURI FLASK
The Leaf Tokkuri Flask came into existence through a series of experiments involving two different molds to create a new object. Once the final design was conceptualised on paper I used Fusion360 to form the vessel's base shape, which was then 3D printed in PLA. To ensure functionality, I preformed a series of liquid tests before proceeding to the mold-making phase.
The base shape, being a perfect circle was perfect for a two-piece mold. I began by suspending the 3D printed object in scrap clay to lay on its side. Additional scrap clay was used to establish a watertight seal at the midpoint and create a sturdy wall layer to support the plaster. The assembly was then surrounded by cottles, and plaster was poured into it.
After the plaster cured, I dismantled the cottle walls and removed all the scrap clay. Next, I flipped the mold over, adjusted the cottles, and sealed everything with clay. Then using a drill, I created keys for the mold and applied a layer of soft soap. More plaster was poured into the empty space, which was then left to dry for a day. I would then crack open the cottle walls, separating the two pieces before I refined the mold by sanding it down and allowing it to dry for a week.
With the mold preparations complete, slip casting could commence. The two mold parts were secured with large rubber bands, and slip was poured into the base vessel. After tipping out the excess slip, I proceeded to use the first mold to create a thin leaf sheet by pouring a layer of slip into it and carefully extracting it after a few minutes.
Once the base vessel was out of the mold, I cross-hatched both sides of the clay and joined it together with more slip. This composite piece was left to dry for a few days before undergoing bisque firing.
For the final finish, I very carefully painted the base vessel with latex to prevent any oxide from seeping out. Then, I coated the leaf with green oxide, expertly wiping it until the desired green hue was achieved. After thorough drying, I peeled off the latex and addressed any imperfections before firing the piece again. Finally, a simple gloss glaze was applied, and the flask underwent a final firing to seal in the exquisite finish.
WARATAH MEAD CUP
Out of the three pieces, this one proved to be the most challenging to create. Base shape of this work resembled a waratah-like candle, and I began by fashioning a clay base for this intricate object. Suspending it in clay, my initial plan involved crafting a three-piece mold. To achieve this, I secured cottle walls around the cup and smoothed over the clay walls to ensure both strength and a watertight seal for the plaster.
Next, I mixed and poured plaster into the void, allowing it to set for approximately thirty minutes before cracking it open. Removing the clay, I rotated the mold, secured it once more, and drilled keyholes into the plaster wall. Soft soap was then applied to the entire object as part of the plastering process. The entire plaster process was repeated two more times to create the three-piece mold.
After refining the mold and letting it dry for a week, I began experimenting and testing it with slip. Unfortunately, even after six attempts, the cast object kept coming out in pieces due to several undercuts. To overcome this issue, I decided to solve it by cutting my third large mold piece into two smaller segments using a plaster saw.
As a result, the three-piece mold transformed into a four-piece one, and fortunately, the slip cast cup now came out whole. I proceeded to bisque fire this piece.
For the final finish, I applied green oxide to the cup's surface and carefully wiped it away with water and a sponge until the desired green hue was achieved. This was followed by firing to seal in the oxide. Lastly, I coated the cup with glass glaze and fired it once again to complete the artistic process.
