Maiolica Watercolor Workshop

On February 22, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop taught by the lovely and talented Laurie Curtis of Point Reyes, CA. Laurie has been a ceramic artist for over 15 years and creates beautiful hadmade pottery featuring subtle and delicately painted fruit and botanical themes painted on maiolica funtional wares. Her pieces are constructed from Italian terracotta clay with a white base glaze. Motifs are painted on the surface of the unfired glaze using pigment stains and underglazes. The effect of this watercolor style painting on her pieces offers depth and uniqueness to all of her work. I really like the painterly style of this technique and wish to explore it further in my own work.

Maiolica Bowl by Laurie Curtis

Laurie Curtis' Studio

Learning new techniques from other artists and connecting with creative people really gives me a boost and inspires me to push myself in new directions. Please check out Laurie's other workshops, which she offers ongoing throughout the year. The setting is peaceful and the views are fantastic in the coastal community of Point Reyes. And Laurie is very generous with her sharing of information. Below are some photos of pieces before and after kiln firing. Also check out Laurie's video of the technique! (Links do not show up in Internet Explorer).

Tile and small bowl decorated with white glaze, stains, and underglazes before firing.

Plate decorated with white glaze, underglazes, stains and wax resist over cat figure before firing. 

Cat plate and bowl after kiln firing.

Tile before kiln firing with scraffito.