Indigo Batik Box

Also out of the kiln, I have two more little items with the Batik Technique ready to be glaze fired. I need to work on the technique more, gotta get the wax to crackle smaller and try other colors of silkscreen too.

Refiring with Clear Glaze

I was not happy with the natural look of the body of these vases, the screenprint designs were too dark for my liking. I had wiped iron oxide over the outside of these and just glazed the inside and the handles. Sooooo, I reglazed the outside with a no zinc clear glaze and I like them much better. I think next time, if I want the natural clay body to show, I will just not use oxide but I think I did that because I had some light spots that showed after bisque that I didn't want to be there in the final firing, so I used oxide to darken the natural clay overall. The clear does make the silkscreened pattern more distinct. So a before and after look here:

Also made another of these wonky vases using a different decorating technique and glaze combo, on of my favorites:

I had also used this design/shape for a few other mini vases which are for sale at my ETSY shop:

Results of my indigo batik experiment

These are the 3" test tiles and I am very pleased with the look. Used virtually the same technique as for fabric, only I did use my silkscreens to get the blue print on raw clay. Today, I used the same technique for a box, also in blue. I will now experiment with other colors. I love the old look these have and am excited to use this decoration on several different forms.

Oh I am excited about my new technique

No photos yet, but I am experimenting with a new decorating technique that will look like Indigo Batik Fabric. Did up several 3" tiles using this new technique and they are now coated with clear and will come out of the kiln in a week or two. This is the studio's kiln and the owner of the studio waits for a full load before she loads and fires. I am very excited that I have my own kiln now and DH is getting it wired today.
In the meantime, here are some cute little vases I made, plus a ceramic wall painting that you can hang outside (weather proof), you can take it down and put in on your table and slice cheese or whatever on it, put it in the dishwasher, and then hang back up on the wall) Might make more of these ceramic canvas things, who knows: