Soft Slab Process (March 17, 2015)

The second mug I created focused more on a nature theme. I wanted to create vines and have leaves. I also wanted to incise a tree. So I did just that.

First, I wedged a piece of clay, then I rolled a slab out with the slab roller. I used a needle tool to trace the net of the mug out. I wet it with water to prevent it from cracking, then I rolled it into the desired shape and size. I scored and slipped the sides together and moved the clay around in that area to remove the crack. Then, I rolled out another slab of clay to make the base. I traced the size of the mug's base onto the slab and cut it out using a needle tool. I scored and slipped that onto the mug and moved the clay in that area. I removed clay using a knife to create a slant in the mug. The top of the mug slants down then curves back up. I decorated my mug with vines. I rolled out a thin coil and scored and slipped it onto the mug. I created 3 of those "vines". Then, I added leaves to two of those vines. To make the leaves, I flattened a ball of clay and pinched the sides to make it pointy. I scored and slipped it on. For one of the vines with leaves, I smoothed it out with a wooden knife to make it "connected". Then, I incised a tree onto one of the empty places. I did it 3 times to try to get it right. Originally, I used a needle tool, but there were tiny balls of clay that would form. So, I used a pencil, but it was to thick. So I ended up using a knife first, then going over it with a pencil. It ended up better. Then, I added a whole lot of stripes. Originally, I had planned for it to only be in one area. But then, I went crazy with the striped lines and put them everywhere. Bad choice. I should have stuck with doing it in one place. Now, my mug's an eyeful. Oh well. Perhaps it will turn out better after I glaze it. (no it didnt)

This mug was made by adding clay and incising.

After it was fired in the kiln again, I glazed it. It didn't have enough layers of glaze, so it didn't turn out like the light color it was supposed to. The leaves turned out kind of black, when it was supposed to be more of a dark green kind of color. (99 percent of the time i ruin my project with glaze)