Tom's celedon glazed pots are all decorated. A very thick base glaze is applied by dipping and the excess drained back into the bucket. The pot is then allowed to dry back to total dryness as this allows a good depth of pigment to be painted on top.

The glazed dish is centered on a banding wheel and guide lines that indicate circumferences and radial divisions are drawn on in very soft pencil.

Using sable water-colour brushes cobalt pigment mix is painted on in a repeating pattern. Large brush strokes tend to be placed in triplets and then a smaller brush used to paint in interconnecting lines and further details.

A slip trailer is then used to place over-glaze dots on the pattern to complete it. The dish is then fired to 1300'C in reduction and the base glaze turns green, the paint work blue and the dots a kaki colour.

The pottery process

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