clay: bisque salad plates

I worry about the rims in my new coupe plates. I want my plates to be durable and not chip as much as possible. I’m going to start to slip and score a very thin coil onto the rim and maybe another on top of the rim, so that the edge of the plate is not too thin and fragile. I’ll then use a wet finger to compress that coil and rim. And then once it's bone dry, I'll sandpaper the rims of the green ware to smooth and refine the plates.                

What I love about these coupe plates are those minimalist profiles, but I want them less delicate and able to withstand being put in the dishwasher and stacked in the cupboard. Unlike Edith Heath's plates, these are porcelain instead of stoneware that are Cone 5 as opposed to a Cone 10. I've one green ware porcelain plate ready, which I just sanded and put on the greenware shelf. And this Thursday, I'll roll out another porcelain coupe slab. This is what slow clay looks like.                

I think I might’ve wasted or thrown away 4 plates from that 25-pound bag of Obsidian. I love this form from a tray bought from a charity shop and wish I could find more just like it. And so maybe I’ll mix up some more plaster to make a hump mold after I form one more porcelain plate. Earlier this week I rolled out slabs for two salad plates from my bag of Obsidian and have maybe enough clay to slump a bowl. But luckily I bought another bag of Obsidian.                  

I've still yet to decide if I'm going to further embellish these rougher white coupe plates that have already been bisque fired, glazed Colonial White and then fired to Cone 5. One unfortunately is cracked, which I will re-make. I love the underside of these plates the most--that tree bark surface has always been a favorite texture. However, the top of the plate is rather meh. But maybe that's the point. 

I want my plates after all to showcase the food. However, I keep wanting to affix some kind of iron oxide decal on to that glazed surface of woodland flora and fauna. Maybe. I despaired when I saw a group of my speckled buff mugs come out of the kiln.  Aaargh pinholes galore. However, this particular mug is not too bad.         

This cup would still need to be sold as a second. Or I need to make a sign: There are flaws in all these pots, but these tiny defects do not detract from the ceramic's functionality. Clays and glazes in these wares are food safe and can be placed in the dishwasher though hand washing makes damage less likely. Wabi sabi or embracing imperfection is intrinsically what makes handmade ceramics beautiful. Feel free to pick up and hold and examine a pot carefully to see if you can love its irregularities before taking it home.