Slab Platter

For this assignment, we were asked to create two platters using the slab technique. For my first platter, I made a slab and smoothed out the side that would be the inner part of the platter. I used a small circle mold and laid a clothing scrap over top. I laid the slab gently over the scrap and repeatedly dropped the mold on the table so that the slab would take its shape. I cut the edges around the mold off and smoothed them out. Once the platter was dry enough to to work with, I took it out of the mold and carved a henna-inspired design into the center. After the bisk fire, I used a white glaze and fired it once more. For my second platter, I used a square mold and another clothing scrap and repeated the same process until I had a square-shaped platter. I used a long, pointy tool to make a simple design around the edge of the platter and made a flattened ring for support on the bottom. After the bisk fire, I used a glaze called Blue Midnight all over the platter, and another glaze called Temmoku and did a dripping technique around the edge. The third picture shows my slab platter after the second firing. I am very pleased with how my platter came out, and other than a few measurement changes, I wouldn't change anything about my piece. I like the addition of the second glaze because I think it adds a pop to the piece and is very unique.