Every Picture Tells a Story

Sculpting the flowers in bas relief

 We took an order for larger daffodil vases than we usually make. It is designed to have a daffodil motif around the neck using the press mold we made a while ago to make the flowers. They were outsized on the new pieces so here we show how we made two new press molds specifically for the larger vases. Of course then we will have them for other pieces. The largest flowers would look really great on an umbrella stand. Here's a peek at the process.

and placing them on a thick slab of clay

Sides of the mold will be clay slabs

Flowers are cleaned up and without undercuts.

Boxes made to contain plaster

Volume of water and plaster are figured.

Weighing the pottery plaster

Slacking in the plaster slowly

After slacking plaster in, it is allowed to sit.

Drilling begins at 3 minutes.

Plaster is setting up.

Checking consistency and thickness

Thickening up

Ready to pour

Release any air bubbles by jiggling the table.

After plaster is hardened, cutting away the clay mold.

Pulling off the original

Drying the mold.