Porcelain Grace - Meryl Ruth

... NEPTUNE

Neptune is another series of individualized, but thematically related, stoneware ceramic plates and bowls. They are intended to be larger than their predecessors, the Aurora series of plates. Whereas the latter were principally dessert-like size, these are planned to be large dinner plate format.
A newly developed method, cut stencil silk-screening, is combined with air-brushing techniques to create imagery. Multiple firings are necessary. China paints enhance the designs.
The series name is that of the Roman god of the sea, suggesting the thematic design and coloration inspired by the sea, its moods, and the sea creatures and marine life that inhabit it. Special focus will be on the seahorse, a long-standing creative interest of mine.
Construction sequence:
- [to be entered]
Date: 2010.
Sizes: 10.0" x 1.5".
Available for purchase
Priced individually.

CREATIVE PROCESS

SEAHORSE 1 *

This piece provides the feel of the sea depths with seahorse imagery.

From the depths of the sea emerge the subtle, blue-hued colors, applied in gradations to the rim of this plate.
The central silk-screened image is an abstract composition of sea horses arranged in an intertwining pattern.
The work is wheel thrown, tooled and trimmed before the silk-screen pattern and air-brushed coloration are applied.

SEAHORSE 2 *

This ceramic plate in another in the Neptune seahorse series.
It is wheel thrown and trimmed to yield a delicate foot on the bottom side.
The side shown here is decorated by means of a hand-cut silk-screened drawing made on an acetate stencil film which is adhered to a silk-screen frame. The stencil is cut from the frame into segments to fit the flat surfaces and air-brushed in place. The irregular surface of the platter is thus embellished by this special cut stencil silk-screening method.
My objective is to produce six similar dinner-size plates.

SEAHORSE 3

This third plate in the Neptune seahorse series is also wheel thrown and trimmed before the silk-screened seahorse pattern is applied to the center panel.
The rose bloom and sea green coloration is enhanced by means of the application of multiple layers of China paints.
After each layer is applied, the piece is repeatedly refired to cone 015.

Further applications of several layers of China paints enhance the coloration and design details.
As before, the piece is subjected to refirings to cone 015 after each paint layer is completed.
Size 10.0" x 1.5".

* Works in progress

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