Satisfying pottery process to create a Christmas tree from a real fern leaf #vuvuceramics #leafart

Trees that remain green through winter have long had a special significance to people throughout the world. In ancient times, evergreen branches and boughs were hung in the home to ward away illness and evil spirits. During the dark months of winter, filling the house with evergreens symbolized the strength and triumph of life. Today, Christmas trees fill homes with so much light and beauty and cheer during the winter and it’s a season I really look forward to every year. Here is a dish that captures a bit of the color and sparkle of a decorated tree - this “tree” is actually imprinted from a real fern frond which I thought worked perfectly as a miniature Christmas tree. After I press the fern into soft clay, I form the dish. After letting it dry, i fire the dish in the kiln at a low temperature to harden the clay. The ceramic dish is then handpainted with a green stain and I add “ornaments” one by one with different colored underglazes. The piece is then kiln-fired to over 2200F. This high temperature vitrifies the clay and melts the glaze. Then I can add the sparkle which is real 22kt yellow gold that is melted on in a final kiln firing #christmas #evergreen #fern #sparkle