This is another piece that I made after living in Malaysia, and it also features the spiral waves seen in design motifs from that part of the world. It is reminiscent of a very large ceramic pot that I almost bought in Malacca that had similar designs etched into its surface. I can still see it in my mind’s eye and wish I had nabbed it.
This is a resist design. The waves were painted onto the surface of the bisque-fired piece with a latex-based product that can be peeled off. It’s like painting with rubber cement—not easily controllable or ideal for fine detail. After it dries, you spray (or dip) one glaze. Then you peel off the resist product. It comes off like a big elastic web. That leaves the design in bare clay, allowing you to then spray a second glaze that interacts with the first glaze but leaves the second glaze in the spaces previously covered by the resist product. This process will only work with certain glaze combinations, as some interactions will result in runs that obscure the underlying design.
10″ x 10.5″
Artist’s Collection
