Ceramic Arts Daily

Rikki Grace puts the finishing touches on a split rim vase.	This week’s Video Tip of the Week comes to us from Ceramic Arts Daily subscriber Rikki Grace of Bluffton, Ohio. In this video, Rikki demonstrates a technique for creating split-rim vases. This easy-to-follow technique adds a touch of elegance to any vessel creating plenty of opportunities for glazes to pool and break.

About the star of this video: A native of southeast Ohio, Rikki Grace holds a B.F.A. in Art History from Ohio University.  A mother of three, she currently teaches in her home-studio, Little Turtle Pottery, working with adults and children. Rikki also happens to be the daughter of our marketing manager, Steve Hecker. Her work is mostly functional, and includes both thrown and handbuilt pieces. Transparent/Translucent Glaze Translucent or transparent glazes with colorants added will work especially well with this technique because the colors will be darker or more intense in the recesses of the split rim. Here is a recipe for a Cone 5 translucent glaze, with suggestions for colorant additions. Give it a shot! Breaking Glaze Glazes that break on edges and texture would also work well with this rim treatment. Try this one from our free downloadable handbook 33 Tried and True Glaze Recipes (and be sure to download your free copy for your studio!). Textured Blue is Marcia Selsor’s Waxy White base with a number of colorants added. This variation was derived from a 50/50 color blend with rutile incorporated in the base for texture. It goes glossy on interiors and breaks beautifully over textures. (From Diana Pancioli, Ceramics Monthly, June 2006)