White Stoneware table lamp with black slip and clear glaze.

..................................

Every lamp is wheel thrown by Steve Smith then passed to Rebecca to decorate in one of four colors of slip (brushable clay with colorants added). Colors available include warm black, espresso, … cobalt, and cherry red.

Once the conditions of the clay are perfect, I begin to carve the freehand design using ribbon tools with a technique called sgraffito. Every lamp is completely different as a result of the freehand process even though the subject matter, color, and shape are consistent. The little birds that have danced in my imagination for thirty years find their personalities in the surface of the clay.

The third and fourth images are the of the lamp base still warm from the kiln before it was wired for light.
.................................

Generally I do not include a shade with the lamp as they are difficult to ship and easy to locate in every community, however, if you prefer a shade included I will choose one that suits beautifully and ship it separately.

..................................

sgraf·fi·to/zgräˈfētō/ Noun: A form of decoration made by scratching a surface to a lower layer of a contrasting color, typically done in slip on clay.