Slip casting has become my preferred form of ceramic production. I find the organic patterning found in nature to be extremely beautiful. In recreating and reworking natural objects I am able to achieve a kind of self expression which I find immensely satisfying. The slip casting process involves finding a suitable piece found in nature. The piece is cleaned and sprayed with a resist (oil or soap, used so the prototype can easily eject form the mold), and a segmented mold is created (usually 4 – 8 segments) in a plaster created specifically for ceramic mold making. The prototype is ejected and cleaned, and then slip (in my case a mid fire liquid porcelain) is poured into the mold. The porous plaster draws the moisture fromm the liquid slip, creating a shell within the mold's interior. Once the desired thickness is achieved the excess slip is poured out and the the newly cast piece is left to dry. The piece is ejected from its mold and any needed clean up is applied and the piece is finished with any desired firing processes.
"Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what has been given."
-Anton Chekhov
