How I use a vintage crochet doily pressed in clay to make a ceramic dish #satisfying #pottery #art

Can you see nature in these lace patterns? They remind me of the mathematical patterns and symmetries in nature like snowflakes, bee hives, and feathers. This lovely crocheted lace doily is another from a box of vintage/antique doilies and tablecloths that I rescued when they were being thrown away. They are each so uniquely gorgeous, and I can just feel the time and skill and calculations that went into creating them. I am celebrating and repurposing these vintage doilies the way I know how (and I sure hope the original makers don’t mind me rolling their handmade lace into clay!) 😊❤️ This crochet pattern is called pineapple stitch, but every time I rolled it into clay, I thought of peacock feathers. So I had some fun painting them in peacock feather colors. I love flowing with those spontaneous inspirations when they strike me. I always give myself the OK to play when making art. The type of clay art I create is kiln-fired ceramics. Kilns can be gas or electric, and for me, I use two electric kilns. I have a big array of solar panels that provides nearly all the electricity I need, minimizing my impact on local resources. After pressing the lace fabric into clay, I sculpt the clay into a dish shape. Then I slowly dry the clay dish, after which I bisque fire the clay dish in my electric kiln. This step drives moisture out of the clay and hardens it so it can be handled during the next step. The bisqued clay is hard but it is still porous and can absorb color and glaze. I apply color washes of stains and underglazes pretty freely in a watercolor style. I love the process to feel loose and flowing, and I allow the color to go where it wants. It feels very relaxing to paint these, and I always look forward to it. Once I finish glazing the piece, I fire it in the kiln again to much higher temperatures (over 2200°F/1200°C). This high temperature vitrifies the clay, making it extremely dense, glasslike, and non porous. It also melts the glaze into a coating of glass on the piece. Then I carefully add real gold by hand and fire the piece a third time in my kiln to bond the gold to the ceramic #vuvuceramics #clayart #vintageinspired #crochetart #creativeart #ceramics