A custom platter for Nellie.

I was commissioned to make a round large platter for a customer whose kitchen was blue and yellow, and who loved sunflowers.  Here is how I went about it...

First I threw the platter, and let it dry very slowly until it was bone dry.  I then laid out the design in pencil.

Once I was happy with the design, I banded the platter on my wheel.

I wanted to keep the painting loose and free.  Using colored slips that were made from the same body as the clay used to throw the platter and a variety of oxides and pigments, I started to lay in the colors.

and more colors....

although it looks like all the colors are the same, there are yellows, oranges and chartreuse green.  That is why it is essential to make test tiles and use them for reference. The platter was then bisque fired.

The platter is ready to be covered with a clear glaze and be fired a second time.  The two test tiles show the two predominant colors, my favorite canary yellow formulated from a mixture of rutile and yellow, and a cobalt blue.

The finished piece.
Thanks for watching.