In my last blog post about clay projects, I highlighted my ceramic musical chairs that did not quite make it intact through the firing process. The creative solution to reassemble them, apply marble dust gesso, shellac, and paint, worked out well although it was time consuming. These chairs made with local clay made it through the kiln and subsequent pit firing intact. The coloration is from burnished terra sigillata.
The anthropomorphous chairs also function as rattles, clacking instruments, and ocarinas. Hence the name “musical chairs.” The smooth, streamlined forms are in part influenced by Cycladic sculpture. This also results from the burnishing process. It is generally easier to polish a form that does not have pronounced textures or sharp angles. The pieces above were smoke fired after being kiln fired, which blackened areas in order to create contrast. The chairs below were kept away from the fire, and so remained clean and oxidized. I made good use of my Chinese brushwork for the slip decoration on these.
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