Victoria, I'm still surprised I still have you in my possession.
There have been many enquiries about you, and the first person to enquire was Victoria, and even though she didn't purchase, I thought the name Victoria was perfect for you. It's regal and authoritative.
A little about how you were made.
The glaze and the paint were experimental; 1st step was partly painting the royal blue, then bisque fire.
Next, glazed with aqua and clear glaze and put in the kiln for three days, reaching temperatures over 1000 degrees.
The tear in her eye was not intended; it was a happy accident while glazing. She's heavy, and I didn't have a strong enough hold on her, and the glaze splattered perfectly under her eye. I could have wiped it off, but ultimately, I left the glaze. It's also the first time I have used speckled clay.
The Potter's club had almost run out of clay apart from the speckled kind.
The lovely thing about this clay is that it's smooth and soft. It feels like soft butter or melted chocolate.
The softness of the clay enlightens many senses and emotions.
It has the same gentle form that a baby has when they are first born, that smooth skin with fat underneath it. It's very holdable and grabbable, and it has a smell of earth and sterility about it.
To make clay for firing, manufacturers add to it to stop it from going off; they sometimes use Detoil and other additives for all kinds of reasons, from eliminating mould, bonding, and the smell.
Victoria has many excellent features, from her shape, size, and the mix of coloured slips and glaze; the perfect blend of these colours is not easy to achieve. To replicate it is almost impossible.
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