Porcelain Leaves with Nature's Imprint

 
On Fingertips

15" x 12" x 6"
Earthenware with porcelain leaves, terra sigillata, engobes, glazes
multi-fired from cone 04-1
leaves fired to cone 6


 

"It is our task to imprint this temporary, perishable earth into ourselves so deeply, so painfully and passionately, that its essence can rise again invisibly inside us."   
 ~Rainer Maria Rilke


Recently I purchased a small test kiln.  It is becoming very handy for firing small parts (such as leaves) and maquettes. Naturally it is good for test tiles, too. And I don't have to wait until the big kiln is full (which can take a while) to see results quickly. Within 24 hours, instant gratification in a ceramicist's world.




Comments

  1. Not sure how but I missed several of your posts. Leaves carry the past present and future and speak to all that surrounds them and in turn us; this evening sitting on my front porch I could feel messages exuding from the trees.

    I have always wanted a small test kiln and I keep my eyes open for a used one but so far one hasn't materialized. Wondering how you fire the leaves to cone 6 and other portions to lower temps and then attach them ?

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    Replies
    1. Hello Linda---It is nice to have a small kiln. I kept my eyes out for an used one, too. Finally I gave up and got a new one--a floor model at 50% off. Glad I did. For the above work, each leaf has a wire stem and I made a hole in each fingertip with a needle tool. The leaves were fired to cone 6 in the test kiln. After second firing (cone 1) of the work, I dipped the wire stem in clear glaze, put them back in the holes of the fingertips and fired to cone 04. The leaves were already fired to cone 6 so the lower temp does not affect them.

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  2. Love this piece - the imagery and metaphor of the (green) leaves growing from her fingertips - reminding us the importance of realizing we are part of this earth and our 'growth' depends on the (health) of this earth.
    YAY a test kiln! Brilliant way to fire your small pieces.

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