I recently spent an afternoon painting pottery with a friend. There's these studios where you can go, select a piece of ceramics such as a plate, cup, or something ornamental like this gargoyle (technically a grotesque since it doesn't have a sprout), and paint it. I really enjoy doing this, and should make time to go more often. This was only my 3rd experience (aside from some minor pottery exposure in grade school.)
The studio I went to the previous times had closed, but I was able to find another place in town. This place is only open part-time, as it is a side business run by a school art teacher. She didn't have as many varieties of items to choose from, nor as much variety in paint. I debated whether to free-hand something like a cup, or just paint something that already had form. I had tried to prepare for this visit by coming up with ideas of things to free-hand. But this grotesque was too neat to pass up.
This is what my grotesque looked like before it got fired. Even though I was using green glaze, the grotesque looked all gray. And I was using a sea sponge to try and get a mottled effect, but I couldn't tell if that was going to come out or not. This is one of the challenges and appeals of painting pottery for me.
And this is what my grotesque looked like after firing! It didn't come out quite as dark as I wanted. I should have done a few more layers of glaze on this. But I think it kind of looks like oxidized copper, and I like the variations in the color.
I'm already trying to plan my next visit. What to paint next??
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