I thought it would be fun to make a ceramic paint palette using the slab technique, but I also wanted to give it my own spin. Since I have been working on incorporating animals into my designs, I made a fish with the scales being the paint wells. I also wanted to section a part for holding brushes, since I often have the problem with finding a place for them while painting. This piece is a prototype, for me to feel out how to make a palette, gauge thicknesses, drying techniques and glazes.
I chose the Botz Speckle Cream 9886 stoneware glaze since I had used it on other pieces and liked the iron speckle effect. Fired to 1250C. It gives the fish a grilled look and also repels any colour stains. I’ve been using it to mix underglazes for my other pieces and it looks new and unused after I wash it each time. All in all, a successful prototype, and I’m looking forward to making more animal palettes in the future!
I painted a series of seascapes during my summer in Cornwall, and used them for this photo shoot. They are really quite small, and I enjoyed the reduced pressure in painting due to that and my general lack of experience with painting 🌝 If you struggle with 2-D media like me, I highly recommend starting small! I have a graveyard of unfinished canvases stashed in the storage now..