Sgraffito

One of the truly amazing things about going to class is that you get to learn and experiment with new pottery techniques. This one is called sgraffito, which has got to be up there on the list of things with truly awesome names. Take the piece below, which is a combination of two bowls (one larger, one smaller and upside down) and joined by a curvy cylinder:

While the piece is still moist after tooling/trimming and joining it, a layer of slip is applied to the surfaces I want to be decorated. Slip is basically runny clay which has colour stain in it. When fired, the colour comes out. When the slip is leather hard dry, the drawing is carved out. The parts that are carved out will then come out white. This is the piece once the slip was applied and the drawing carved out:

Once bisqued, that is, fired to 1000 degrees Celsius, the colour started to come out..

Et voila! Herewith the final product. PERFECT for little sweet things, like truffles and Easter eggs 😉

NOTE: All photographs by Araceli Robledo