Owl Planter

Designer: William Pulse

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Instructions

  1. Knead the mold trimmings from the casting and moisten if necessary. Roll clay trimmings out into about a ¼” slab approximately 3”x 5”X ¼. Place face pattern onto clay. Trace the basic placement of the beak, eyes and rings of feathers. Use a Clean Up Tool to cut out the shape of the face. Use the AC-219 Bottle’s opening to press in the pupil circles for the eyes. Use the bottle cap to press in the ring around the eyes, rotating the edge of the bottle to form texture around the pupil Use the curved end of the Clean Up Tool to press in the concentric design detail around the eyes. Rock the tool’s curved point towards the while pressing firmly enough to cause a good imprint.
  2. Score and attach the face to the center of the oval vase using some slip. Roll a small amount of clay into a cone shape. Towards the fat end of the cone, pinch the end between your thumb and index finger to reshape the top end into a slight peak. Score and slip the beak onto the face. Use the Clean Up Tool to make two indentations in the top of the beak.
  3. Trace the chest feathers onto the front of the oval container centering the feathers under the beak. Use a Sgraffito Tool to carve the edge and basic shapes of the feathers. Carve the detail lines in each feather.
  4. Use the Clean Up Tool to fettle the seam lines. Use the Green Grit Cloth to further refine the seam lines. Use a moistened Synthetic Sponge to wipe down the piece to remove any dust before firing.
  5. Let the piece dry thoroughly before firing. Fire to Shelf Cone 04.
  6. 6. Use a slightly moistened Synthetic Sponge to wipe down the piece before painting. Check to make sure that no debris is attached to the incised lines on the feathers.
  7. Place some SC-14 Java Bean onto a tile and thin with water to a milky consistency. Use CB-604 Soft Fan to apply color to the Face and Chest Feathers. Use a Synthetic Sponge to wipe back the highlights. Rinse sponge often. Let Dry.
  8. Use CB-406Pointed Round to dry brush some SC-45 My Blue Heaven onto the highlights on the face feathers. Accent the outer edges with some SC-11 Blue Yonder with the same brush.
  9. Apply 2-3 coats SC-34 Down To Earth to the pupils of the eyes using CB-110 Liner. Paint the beak with the same color. To the iris of the eye apply 2-3 coats of SC-5 Tiger Tail using CB-110 Liner.
  10. To the chest feathers apply 2-3 coats of thinned SC-5 Tiger Tail using the CB-406Pointed Round. Try to apply the color to the feathers while not allowing the color to fill in the crevices of the detail.
  11. Apply 3 coats of FN-08 Brown to the inside of the canister using CB-604 Soft Fan.
  12. Apply 2-3 coats of CG-965 Mocha Marble to the body of the canister using CB-604 Soft Fan or CB-406Pointed Round. Try to evenly disperse the crystals while not allow clumps of crystals to form. Apply 1-2 coats of S-2102 Crystal Clear Brushing to the face and chest feathers using CB-406Pointed Round
  13. Stilt and Fire the piece to Shelf Cone 05-06.
  14. Note. The design can be painted if you don’t have a wet piece of greenware to modify. There are some slightly different steps to painting if you don’t modify the piece. No antiquing of the face and chest feathers would be done. Paint the blue colors to the face then detail the pattern with the Java Bean replacing the incised lines. The eyes and beak are painted the same. For the chest feathers, apply 2-3 thinned coats of the Tiger Tail wash and then detail with Java Bean. Apply 1-2 coats of Crystal Clear Brushing over these areas.

Supplies

Form

  • CD-1284 Oval Canister, WET greenware.
    • Note: Keep the mold trimmings from mold casting. If you don’t have access to wet greenware the piece can be accomplished just by painting in the pattern. Read the notation at the end of the instructions for guidance.

Colors

  • FN-08 Brown
  • CG-965 Mocha Marble
  • SC-5 Tiger Tail
  • SC-11 Blue Yonder
  • SC-14 Java Bean
  • SC-34 Down To Earth
  • SC-45 My Blue Heaven
  • S-2101 Crystal Clear Brushing

Decorating Accessories

  • CB-110 Liner
  • CB-406Pointed Round
  • CB-604 Soft Fan
  • AC-219 Writer Tip Bottle

Miscellaneous Accessories

  • Sponge
  • Water
  • Pattern
  • Clean Up Tool
  • Sgraffito Tool
  • Green Grit Cloth
  • Small Rolling Pin
  • Scissors
  • Pen
  • Pallet or tile

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