The mono print clay process used on these pieces is similar to making a mono print in traditional printmaking. Instead of drawing on a metal plate and transferring the image to paper, I paint my designs, using underglazes on newsprint. The image, while still damp, is transferred to the surface of the wet, red clay.
As with all mono prints, the image is drawn and the layers of colour are applied in reverse from foreground to background. There is a narrow window of time when the newspaper and the surface of the clay are perfect for application. I love the spontaneous marks where the wet paper imprints on the clay giving it a rustic look.
Once the surface design is transferred, the clay is shaped by hand or draped image side down over a mold and left to dry slowly before it is fired, glazed and fired a final time.
It’s time consuming labour of love with no two pieces ever being the same, but I love the rustic results.
