Potters Tip - from John Shirley - Mocha Ware

THIS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE, LITTLE USED TECHNIQUE, OPENS MANY POSSIBILITIES TO THE POTTER LOOKING FOR AN UNUSUAL WAY OF DECORATION.

MOCHAWARE IS CREATED BY USING A MOCHA TEA WHICH IS MADE FROM AN INFUSION OF TOBACCO MIXED WITH COLOURING OXIDE. THIS IS APPLIED TO A FRESHLY APPLIED AREA OF SLIP AND ALLOWED TO FLOW DOWN THE SURFACE CREATING FINE VEINED TREE-LIKE DESIGNS WHICH CAN BE USED TO CREATE A VARIETY OF DECORATIONS AS WELL AS MAKING INTERESTING ‘LANDSCAPE’ PAINTINGS ON POTS.

TO MAKE THE ‘TEA’ ADD THE TOBACCO FROM ONE CIGARETTE TO ONE TABLESPOON OF BOILING WATER. ALLOW TO COOL AND THEN ADD ABOUT A TEASPOON OF MANGANESE DIOXIDE OR OTHER COLOURING OXIDE OR CERAMIC STAIN. MIX WELL AND STRAIN OUT THE TOBACCO. AS A BASE SLIP REGULAR CASTING SLIP, FINELY SIEVED SEEMS TO GIVE THE BEST RESULTS.

TAKE A LEATHER HARD POT, DIP INTO SLIP, AND IMMEDIATELY APPLY SMALL DROPS OF ‘TEA’ WITH A LOADED BRUSH TO THE PIECE, ALLOWING IT TO FLOW DOWN THE SLIPPED AREA CREATING THE VEIN-LIKE DECORATION.

THE PIECE IS THEN ALLOWED TO DRY AND CAN BE FURTHER DECORATED IF REQUIRED, AND THEN BISQUE FIRED IN THE USUAL WAY.

ONE CAN EXPERIMENT WITH GLAZE IN COMBINATION WITH THIS TECHNIQUE ALTHOUGH I HAVE ALWAYS LEFT PIECES I HAVE PRODUCED WITH THIS TECHNIQUE UNGLAZED.

THIS IS A RELATIVELY SIMPLE TECHNIQUE WHICH COULD BE COMBINED WITH BRUSHWORK TO PRODUCE SOME EXCITING RESULTS. TRY SOME AND HAVE SOME FUN!