50 
ttOVAMIC STUDIO 
ROSES IN BANDS 
K. E. CHERRY 
be removed before placing in the kiln. When a great degree 
of heat is reached, there is great vibration and these tiny 
bits of color fly and settle on other work, often with most 
disastrous results. See that the edges are clean. An 
excellent way to do this is to cover the thumb with the 
painting-rag of piece of silk; catch the side of the nail over 
the edge of the china and draw towards you. This will 
remove the color with a perfectly clean straight edge. 
Change the cloth as it becomes soiled. 
If you wish to remove dry colors in this way, slightly 
moisten the cloth with alcohol; do not have it moist enough 
to cause the edges to run. Go over the design again, clean- 
ing every particle of oil and dusted color from it. Let there 
be no imperfections of any sort ; keep the edges of the design 
very straight and even. 
By observing the design given for this lesson, you will 
see that black is to be used in some parts of the pattern. 
The design is to be painted in with the same mixture as is 
used for the grounding. This, however, is to be mixed with 
medium and painted in flatly and smoothly and will be much 
lighter in tone. Do this first and then lay in the touches of 
black. Mix the black rather stiff with the medium and then 
use a little turpentine on the brush instead of the medium, 
when laying in the color on the china. 
Paint bands at top and bottom with back, also any other 
parts indicated in the study. The ground-lay color will 
come off before it dries very easily, so be very careful in 
handling it. If a small place is damaged, you will perhaps 
be able to fix it by painting in very carefully with a rather 
dry brush some of the grounding oil. Do not go quite up 
to the edges of the color. Bet this stand for a few minutes, 
and then dust the color over it. Sometimes it is best to 
wait for cleaning until the whole thing has dried. This 
will take several hours; then remove the extra color by 
scraping with a sharp knife. 
Ground-laid color should never be dried in the oven or 
by artificial heat; the oil underneath is liable to run and 
spoil the tint. When this method of applying a ground is 
properly done, the result is a smooth velvety surface, 
not oily looking in places. Sift on more color in such spots 
until the oil has taken up sufficient color to remedy it. If 
the tint is not satisfactory after it has been fired, it may be 
painted over with the same color mixed with medium and 
fired again. Do not pad color used this way unless very 
uneven and streaky. It is surprising how evenly a tint can 
be laid over groundlaid color, which has been fired. If it 
should blister and chip off in firing, the defective spot may 
be rubbed down with fine sand paper or emery cloth and 
then retouched by painting over it with the brush. When 
the vase is entirely cleansed it is ready for firing. If you 
send this out to be fired, protect it with several thicknesses 
of sheet wadding; brace it in a box or some such means of 
transportation, so that it will not roll or get scratched. Any 
one who does firing could tell tales about the wretched way 
in which many people send pieces to be fired. 
The kiln is not a magic affair, which will gloss over all 
of your failing's and give you back a piece quite admirable 
to behold. On the contrary, each mistake is made perma- 
nent. For this reason go slowly and carefully in carrying 
out each problem. When the little vase is fired, you will 
find a beautiful high glaze in place of the velvety surface of 
the dusted color. Use a piece of fine sand paper or emery 
cloth and rub over the surface to remove any grit. 
Those parts of the design which are outlined will need 
to be gone over again, so use the pen and sugar and water as 
before. 
Mix some yellow green with medium, adding just 
enough black to slightly tone it, so that it is not quite so 
intense in color. With the large square shader envelope 
the entire vase with this tint, proceeding as you would for 
ordinary tinting. Pad until even and waxy. When we 
speak in these lessons, we speak of an "envelope" of color, 
it means a wash of color, a tinting which entirely covers or 
envelopes the piece. This gives an effect much like under- 
glaze holding all parts of the design together with one 
general tone. After the vase has been treated in this way, 
you will have a nice harmony of greens, with the added 
contrast of the black, this too, being slightly toned by the 
green washed over it. 
After the vase is enveloped with the lighter green, put 
it aside to dry ; this can be dried in the oven ; then with the 
black go over the bands and touch up any places in the 
design where it is used and it is ready for another firing. 
Before attempting to work with the black, see that the en- 
velope of color is dried "bone dry," that is, perfectly hard. 
Use the black with very little medium or turpentine. Be 
very particular, as any mis-step here means taking off the 
entire background or "envelope" of color. In a more 
elaborate piece, three firings are necessary; this one was 
planned for two firings and if done with care will be satis- 
factory. If, however, the color looks thin and poor and the 
black spaces grey, give it another painting and a third firing. 
BLACKBIRD PANEL— C. BRIDWELL (Treatment page 52) 
