Excerpt: Traditionally, the primary objective of terra sigillata refined slip coatings is to get a high satin gloss without a glaze, using simple, time-effective polishing methods. Most of the popular published terra sigillata recipes do not separate the large particles adequately, and the product is not a true terra sig.
Pottery and ceramics terra sigillata by Russel Fouts. Terra sigillata is a very smooth, lustrous coating of clay that resembles a glaze and is virtually waterproof.
Excerpt: It’s a long name for a simple thing, but terra sigillata is a technique I come back to again and again. I don’t use it at the traditional low temperature it’s normally fired to, though; I like it at cone 6 or higher. It’s beautiful in soda/salt firings, too, picking up incredible flashing sometimes and gorgeous warm colors. That’s the surface on the shallow bowl I used for the header on my blog page – if only everything would come out that nice!
Excertpt: As artists we seek the defining characteristics of our individual voices and the techniques by which to best express this vision. Technique by itself has little meaning. However, often in the interplay between vision and technique we are able to take steps forward, at one moment pushing technique to stretch our vision, and at another pushing our vision to stretch the technique. Looking back in retrospect, we are amazed by this evolution.
by Alan Willoughby -This article was originally published by Ceramics Technical. Reprinted by permission.
