The organic design on these cups was created with white, iron oxide, and manganese colored slips made from my throwing clay.  (Not a special slip recipe.) 

 

After dripping the slip onto the side of the cup I then used manganese dissolved in vinegar and with a droopy watercolor brush let the solution drip into the white slip at the center of the design.  The vinegar and manganese spread into the other slips and created an organic landscape like design. 

 

Lesson learned:  during glaze firing the design will drool on a vertical surface and is much more effective on a flat plate.  The black of the vinegar solution spreads much like India Ink does into water color paints.  Luscious. 

 

I learned this technique from the Robin Hopper tapes about liquid and colored clays.  (I think that was the tape, maybe it was glazing.)  Robin Hopper is the source of numerous interesting and challenging techniques. 

 

I haven't been posting much because I have been making gifts for people and they can't be revealed before the giving. 

Discovery:  I love making pieces with a specific person in mind!!

 

This'll be all for now, thanks for stopping by.  ttfn

 

Mary Ellen