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Ceramic Review Masterclass: John Pollex

John Pollex takes us step-by-step through the processes and techniques he uses to make and decorate his painterly pieces. 1. I use white earthenware clay for my work, making mostly plates, slab pots and teabowls that I throw and handbuild. My large plates measure 30cm after firing. When the clay arrives it is usually too soft, requiring me to leave some out to stiffen before I start making. 2. When the thrown pieces become leatherhard and I have trimmed the bases, I brush three layers of black slip on them. The reason for this is that during firing some of the colours can slightly burn out if not applied thick enough. A black background provides the base with more substance than a white one. 3. I weigh out 25g of body stain/underglaze colour before adding it to 10g of water in a 450g yogurt pot. Once the stain has dissolved, a creamy white slip is then added to make the base slip ready for painting. The consistency of the white slip should just slowly run off a spoon. 4. Plotting out an image is usually done in white slip with a brush or sponge. This is purely improvised at the beginning and continues throughout the work. At this stage, one of the things I like to do is add ambiguous pot and body shapes. 5. I construct my palette of base slips from the following colours: two blue, two green, purple, pink, white and yellow, with a neat orange made from yellow and red stains. Alongside these, I add small amounts of body stain with a brush, which gives a good tonal range of each colour during the work. 6. The colours are arranged with their corresponding neat stains in small jars alongside them. I then stir all the slips, getting them to the correct consistency before starting. The thickness of the slip is similar to yogurt and just about runs off a spoon. 7. I use a variety of brushes mostly obtained from a builder’s merchant. I cut back the bristles so the slip can be picked up easily from the palette. Brushwork often leaves interesting marks and shapes on top of already established areas with improvising being a continuous activity throughout the work. 8. I cut the sponges to various shapes and sizes using an electric bread knife. I am very particular about which edge of the sponge I use to apply a colour. I sponge the base colours on first before adding more with a selection of mixed tones from the same colour. 9. This display cabinet stands behind where I usually paint my pots. I often refer to it before I start, looking to see what finished colours to use before beginning to paint. It shows most of the range of pots I supply to galleries. 10. Once a pot has had its colours added, it is ready for a thick spatula application of white slip to be applied on top. This will almost certainly obliterate the original marks and design underneath. 11. To make the thick white slip, an amount of clay about the size of an orange is taken straight from the bag. I soften it up by spraying water on it and mixing it with a fork until it comes to the right consistency for applying with a spatula. 12. I usually work with a spotlight on either side of me to provide a clear view of the colours. This set up shows the layout of palettes alongside a bucket of water for washing out brushes and sponges. This is essential as brushes and sponges need constant cleaning. 13. All the spatula work is done on a turntable; this makes it easier to see the image from different directions during the placing of the thick white slip. I use an indoor plant spray to stop the work from drying too quickly under the heat of the spotlights. 14. At this stage, most of the thick white slip has been added, covering the original colours but leaving just enough colour underneath for later. I already have an idea by this point of how the neat colours will look when I add them next. 15. Most of the plate is now covered with slip from the spatula and is beginning to show a slightly raised surface. Deciding the direction to apply the spatula work is spontaneous as the whole image is still in progress and becoming more painterly. 16. I now begin to move to the final process of adding the neat coloured stains to the surface of the piece. This is when I can get an idea of how the finished item will look. I always work on more than one pot a time, giving my eyes a rest from each image in between. 17. After some time considering the results of the various stages, I now slowly decide if the work is finished. All the neat colours have been added using sponges and spatulas. The piece is then allowed to dry slowly before a bisque firing. 18. A finished pot showing the colour palette and surface textures achieved by using the sponge and spatula technique of applying different coloured slips. Ceramic Review has been the international magazine for ceramics, ceramic art and pottery since 1970. Print + Digital One Year, £48 & Digital for £20.99 - https://bit.ly/3sLComl Videography Layton Thompson