Following on from AGES ago when I started sharing the steps of making my work (see here or here ), let’s talk about Slip.
Slip is basically watered down clay that can be used to decorate a pot before it dries out. It can be colored just about any color you want and can be used in many different thicknesses. Lisa Naples is a ceramic artist who uses VERY thick slip to texture and color her work.
Slip can be painted on a pot or trailed using fine pointed squeezy bottles or a pot can be dipped into slip. Some slips can even be used to make pots! Kate Westfall uses redclay slip to make the bodies of her gorgeous mugs ????. (Side note: if you’re ever stuck for a gift idea for me, a piece of Lisa or Kate’s work will do just fine ????)
Each pot in my studio gets dipped and receives a coat of white slip before it is allowed to dry completely and go through it’s first firing.
This coat of white slip has three jobs to do; it prevents iron from the clay body affecting the glaze, it helps to highlight the textures I make in the slabs AND it provides a perfect, light background for my “Tidal Swell” glaze to show it’s subtle hues of blue & green ????
Slipping is an essential step in the process of my work… and one of the beautiful steps. A freshly slipped pot is so lovely, just look at those rims and handles, they look like white chocolate!
❤
