July 13, 2009
A Very, Very Fine Line: Drawing on Pottery with Inlaid Slip
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Mishima, mishima, mishima - try saying that five times fast. Better yet, try actually executing this slip-inlay technique on a bunch of pots! You’ll end up with a tied tongue or cramped fingers, but with the latter you’ll also get fantastic intricate surface decoration on your pottery – like potter Lorna Meaden. I have coveted Lorna’s yummy surfaces ever since I saw her work for the first time a few years ago in Ceramics Monthly. And I have been wondering what technique she uses to achieve the super fine (in more ways than one) pin-striped decoration that graces a lot of her pots. Well, it’s mishima, and today, Lorna tells us a little about the process. Plus she shares some of her soda firing techniques. I am looking forward to giving the old mishima technique a whirl sometime soon! - Jennifer Harnetty, editor. |
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Mmmmmmmm…Mishima Mishima pottery comes from the Japanese Island of Mishima, but it was originally transported from Korea around the 16th century. This surface design technique is a way of drawing by inlaying a slip of contrasting color into lines incised in leather-hard clay. |
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Download Emerging Ceramic Artists to Watch: New Pottery and Ceramic Sculpture now to see more great work and hear what the artists have to say about their motivations, inspirations and career plans. |
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I fire in heavy reduction until cone 9 is down. I then close the damper of the kiln, and turn up the gas. This produces unused fuel in the atmosphere of the kiln, trapping carbon on the surface of the pots. Then, I spray a soda ash solution into the kiln. I use a large amount of soda and water (5 lbs. soda ash to 3 gallons of water) and spray it in all at once. Afterwards, I let the kiln gain temperature until cone 10 is down. The finishing step is creating an oxidizing atmosphere to brighten the color of the glazes. To see more of Lorna’s work, visit www.lornameaden.com. |
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Don’t miss Lorna Meaden’s full-length feature article in the September 2009 issue of Ceramics Monthly! |
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Ann E. | July 13th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I’ve been trying this very same technique, only I paint on the slip with a brush. It wastes alot of the slip so I’m anxious to read more and see how Lorna applies the slip. Ann E. Vreeland Ohio
Dana | July 18th, 2009 at 8:31 am
I teach HS and have tried the metal rib with my students. We got diasterous results. Instead I use scotch brite pads now to remove the excess slip. Works like a charm.
But I would also like to know what she uses to apply the slip.
Donna | July 18th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Mudtools are far better than the metal ribs and not at all dangerous. They come in different levels of hardness. The hardest (blue) works well for scraping as does the next in hardness (green). The red is the softest and is nice to use as you would a chamois. What I like most about these ribs for this type of work is that they don’t pull out the grog and scratch the surface. They also bend to the surface as the metal rib does.
Melchor | September 25th, 2009 at 11:27 am
I take a different approach. I cut my lines deep, add the slip or engobe with a fine brush or hypo needle. Then when the piece is completely dry, I sand the piece down using screen mesh sand paper.