Thu, Feb 28th, 2013 Discussions with Mr. H began about 3 years ago; drawings and a commitment were set up in the spring of 2012 and now, after a few delays on both my side & my client's side, the mural is underway.
Mr. H's handmade kitchen backsplash mural will go below a strong copper hood, just above a professional cooking stove. The mural is designed to have movement and a gentle presence, but not designed to overwhelm or compete with the copper hood. It will be grouted onto the wall and as a result, there will be a smooth coat of a clear glaze on the surface to assure it can be cleaned after a night of cooking.
I sent a drawing, which was adjusted, then approved. I had to account for some changes due to the high back of the stove, which ultimately will cover the bottom row of tiles; to adjust, I raised the whole composition on the left hand side.
Tuesday I did a mishima technique, putting colored clay slip into the recessed areas of the tiles to accent the lines, then scraping the dry slip away so the contrast shows both natural elements and the tile background.
Once bisque fired, the tiles are back on the table and ready for the glaze preparation. I sprayed the background with a soft ochre stain and then put a clear glaze over that. On top of the clear glaze, I added more ochre to create shadows and variation on the surface.
In the meantime, the counter is fired and laid out as it will be in his kitchen. Mr. H. wanted a simple, soft desert yellow on the counter, in the center will be his grill.
The backsplash is out of the kiln and I believe the colors are spot on!
Mr. H loves it. Boxed and shipped to his Maine home... they go on the wall in a few months.
