Recent Work with Mulberry Paper

This morning I took images of the last of the work that I finished this summer. I still have a few pieces to finish from the summer, but I feel a sense of accomplishment to at least have finished what was finished.

Most of these pieces incorporate mulberry paper or other handmade papers.

Here I added paper to the body of the pieces to provide a textural and color contrast to the glazed end of the pod or seed.

Some of the pieces I photographed this morning were actually formed last year or before but I was unhappy with the glazed or underglazed surfaces and wanted to enhance them with the softer paper texture.

 I believe I actually completed this piece several years ago, possibly even before moving to Washington, but the colored seeds seem to "pop" more against the soft purple mulberry paper behind and below the pieces.

In this box the paper softens the sound and feel of the ceramics. I carried the paper over the top edge of the bottom piece. When you put the lid on, the ceramic edge sits on paper rather than clinking or scraping right on another ceramic edge.

This was originally made as a multi-part lidded box but for some reason the lid was permanently attached. (It's been too long; can't remember what happened.) The piece doesn't fit particularly well with the rest of my work. I was thinking of those baby toys where the child pushes a handle down and the balls in the container below spin. Since the piece was already damaged I decided to play with a different type of textured paper.

I blew this piece up last year. I forgot to include an air hole in a small hollow section near the top and it blew in the kiln. I only lost a small section of the top, so I decided to glaze the pieces and attempt a repair later. I epoxied the pieces together but the seam was visible and some of the color was off. I used two colors of mulberry paper in part because I was trying to create a contrast between the shiny ball on the inside at the top and the body of the piece. I also didn't have enough green paper on hand. I attempted to highlight the shadows and the underglaze spray from the original by putting green under the spines and yellow above. I am not entirely happy with the result and I consider this piece only partially complete.

I still have a few pieces I am waiting to finish. I saw waiting, but truthfully this first week of classes was so busy I didn't have a spare moment until today. These pieces are the uninjured pieces that would be okay without the paper but I think would be enhanced with the paper. I guess I was afraid to start on them until I worked out some of the kinks with the broken, cracked and maimed pieces from last year.

This piece from last year looks find on the end but is a little dull when viewed from the side. I believe I always intended to try paper on this piece.

Last year was the first time I started experimenting with mulberry paper. I only made a few pieces but I was pretty happy with the results. I sold one of the two small pieces below.