Week 3

      Over the week we used molds to make platters, two in fact. I made two plates using a circular mold. The goal was for the clay to be even and become leather hard to paint on.  Engobe is a paint that can go on plastic or leather hard.  By making a paper stencil one positive and one negative, the engobe paint, in my case dark blue and dark green, could be applied in opposites; one plate the fish is painted the other everything but the fish is painted.  We are still working on slabs and techniques for our clay. Once the clay dried into leather hard, you could take it out of the mold, turn it upside down, and shave off the rough edges on the bottom. I also finished carving my "die" cube stamp and the press down stamp. Next class the plan is to carve off some engobe to see the white clay through it. I plan to carve gills and fins, as well as the eye back into the design. The next project is to make a hump mold with many rose shaped clay petals. Hopefully painted with rose pink glaze.