Ceramic Test 1

The type of clay I used at U2 was stoneware, which is soft and tough and easy to shape, but has a relatively rough texture. I wanted my jewellery to look more delicate, so in the quest for a more subtle ceramic texture, I tried switching to porcelain clay for my flakes.

Porcelain clay is hard and brittle when it dries out and breaks easily, so I need to be very careful when making it. I tried making mud with it and dripping the mud onto the plasterboard to form the flakes. Also, I tried rolling the porcelain clay directly into a sheet and cutting out the shape. I also tried bending some of the flakes to give them more shape.

After firing, almost none of the thin slices I made around 1mm thick broke, showing that the direct rolling of the slices works. And I found that the clay was still not too hard after firing at 1060 degrees Celsius, making it easy to polish.