Mortuary Sink

I've always made tile of one sort or another...sculptural ones, backsplashes, fireplace hearths and lots of individual tiles. For a while my assistants were making hundreds of square feet of stamped 2" squares. But I've always wanted to make more massive floor tile and today Beth and I put together our first effort. Using clay re-constituted in an old funeral parlor sink/table, we mushed gooey clay into wooden frames. The clay is a rough mix of several stoneware clays, grog, sawdust and bonding clay and has a lot of texture to it.

I made frames for 4", 6" and 8" squares...the newsprint is to keep the clay from sticking when removing the frame. They sit on a slate-like table sprinkled with dry clay and we are pretty pleased with the process. I've always thought that my bagwall should be tile...I'm not quite sure how to pull that off, but I do want them to get strong flashing.


I also slipped and trimmed all the breadplates I made earlier this week and I wish I had a hundred to play with. It is such a satisfying technique...the wet slip flowing from the teeth of my plastic comb, thickening on the borders of the simple pattern. I slip them before I trim them.

After trimming I use a blue/black glaze...both as dots or pouring.