Scraffito and Slip

'Birdie' by Hannah McAndrew

I had such an enjoyable afternoon today. Slipware potter Hannah McAndrew very generously let me have a go at decorating a couple of pots at her Barm Pottery. I wasn't sure what I wanted to put on the pots - I just wanted to have a go at decorating.

I loved the rhythm of of the mark making and the 'quiet mind' you get when you are totally absorbed in the process. I decorated one vase with slip patterns and made use of a few happy accidents when the slip nozzle 'burped' a couple of times.

On the second vase I did some scraffito red squirrels on a branch, inspired by the news that my cousin Amy has just got a job saving the diminishing Red Squirrel population in the North of England. Scraffito is a delicious process where you scrape though semi dry slip into the pot below. The design evolved from one squirrel, to three on a branch. I didn't want to stop and felt a bit sad when I realised the pot couldn't take any more decorating.

Thank you very much Hannah for letting me come round and spend such an enjoyable afternoon in your lovely pottery.

Z