HAR-BON CERAMICS & DECALS
There is no doubt that one of my favorite pastimes is working with a leather hard casting. Just to "do my own thing" with a plain peace is very rewarding. This piece is very open to allow the glow of the candle to enhance the beauty of the angels. The piece you choose will need to be poured a little extra thick for added support. It should be left in the mold overnight to give it the proper consistency. Begin by cutting a free flowing scalloped edge on the top opening. You may sketch this first with a pencil to make sure you are happy with it. Continue one of the scallops in a slanted flowing line down the side of the piece. Using the curved end of your cleaning tool, deepen this line to about half the thickness of the greenware. Now using the pointed end of the tool, clean away the clay to the depth of the cut. Smooth it out with the flat edge of the tool so that it blends into the remainder of the piece. This will give the appearance of being overlapped. Trace the outline of your decal onto some tracing paper. Position this pattern onto your greenware, and trace the outline with a ball point pen. Do not use too much pressure when tracing. All you want is an outline clear enough to cut around. This is where the decal will be placed after glazing. Remember, clay shrinks some when fired. Allow a little extra for this. Now, using your scalpel, begin cutting free-form cut outs. First make the cuts around the angel pattern. Make some cuts right on the line all around the outline of the pattern. Once you are happy with this, start at the top edge, working around and down the piece. If it becomes too dry, spray it with a little water. Be very careful not to over do the water. The more open the piece becomes, the more careful you must be. Once the cutting is done, let the piece set for an hour or two. While it is still damp, clean up any jagged edges as much as possible. A wet round sable brush works well for this. Also use your sponge to smooth the top and "overlap" edges. Allow the piece to dry thoroughly. Sand using a rubber scrubber with a fine grit. Use a very light touch. It will break easily at this point. Once you have smoothed the cut edges to your satisfaction, wipe down carefully with a wet sponge. Fire to cone 03. Apply two coats of clear glaze, being careful not to let it puddle in the cut-outs. Fire to cone 06. Apply the angel decal to the portion of the piece left for this purpose. Make sure you work all the water and air out from underneath the decal with a squeegee. Fire again to cone 015. Now using a #6 China Oval, apply Liquid Bright Gold to the top and overlap edges. Fire to cone 019. Apply Mother of Pearl over the entire finish, inside and out, and fire to cone 020. Choose a candle for the inside, light it, and sit back and admire your work. The decal used for this project is #21610. You will find it listed in the Catalog section in the General Listing under "Angels & Cherubs". I hope you will experiment using different decals and cut out shapes. Just remember to allow for shrinkage when tracing the pattern for the decal. To make the decal stand out, it is important to make some cuts right on the traced line - not too many - you may lose it!
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