Slip-Decorated Wares
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As a studio potter operating Railroad Stoneware in Northern California during the 70s and 80s I became interested in the enduring tradition of slip decoration.  These techniques appear in many cultures world-wide as early as 7000 B.C.  Slip decoration flourished in the Byzantine Empire and traveled into Eastern Europe, where they are still a mainstay of folk pottery.  

Of special interest are the slip-trailing and feather-combing techniques.   My primary work has gone in other directions, but I still enjoy the spontaneity of slip-decoration on freshly thrown vessels.   I use a porcelain slip with a simple palette of colors tinted with ceramic oxides.  In all cases, the claybody is a speckled tan stoneware.  For a few shots of slip-trailing and feather-combing in progress, go to the page for my workshop on Slip Decorating Techniques.   

This page includes examples from Railroad Stoneware on the left, and recent work on the right.  

If you have questions or comments about my work, please contact me.