Floral Tiles

Bathroom tiles that I keep saying look like an earring/earpiece. I also love how the floral image looks almost like a watercolour painting with a pen used for detailing.

Bowes.K., (2021). Bathroom tiles grid image

Bowes.K., (2021). Single tile

Stylised wax impressions

 I tried using some cake decorating tools to do clay and wax impressions as well because the one looks like cells and the other looks like leaves with xylem. The leaves came out more stylised than I would have liked but I love the cells in the wax because the raised edges look like the walls of plant cells. This plant cell wall is what greatly differentiates plant and animal cells as animal cells do not have cell walls, only a membrane. With cells, it also doesn't matter if they are stylised or not as cells can't be seen with the naked eye so the impressions can't be compared.

Bowes, K., (2020). Leaf and cell clay and wax impressions.

Leaf wax impressions

I made new ceramic pieces that had plant impressions. This time I made sure the clay was not forgotten about because when the clay is still wet wax can be poured over it to transfer the details from the clay to wax. The moisture in the wet clay acts as a release for the wax so it can be removed from the clay easily. I had a gem squash plant growing in the garden and the veins are raised which was perfect to create impressions in the clay.

Bowes, K., (2020). gem squash leaf impressions in clay.

I had trouble removing the wax while it was hot, so I poured the wax and just left it to cool which unfortunately caused the wax to become thick. I am going to try use silicone to lift the hot wax so that the wax is thin. The thick and thin wax is ideal for different uses, thick wax is perfect for casting textured rings, but the thin wax is ideal for soldering onto other pieces.

Bowes, K., (2020). Wax impressions.

Ceramic discs

During the lockdown, I did some work with ceramics. I made small clay discs that I pressed flowers, leaves and other found objects to create different textures. I had forgotten about them when we returned to classes so the clay dried. I was reminded of them when I was working with my punches as the impressions made by the punches were very similar to those made in the clay.

Seeing as the clay was completely dry, I decided to test the underglazes we have in the department to try to enhance the impressions of the plants and textures as some of them were not very visible due to the dark colouration of the dried clay.

Bowes, K., (2020). Ceramic textured discs.

Bowes, K., (2020). Ceramic plant impressions. 

Bowes, K., (2020). Glazed ceramic discs.