Signature Designs

using Sodium Silicate

Each of my 'Signature Designs' are created using sodium sIlicate during the throwing process. The clay walls are intentionally left thicher to prevent tearing during the stretching process. Each piece starts life as a thrown cylinder, with slips or oxides applied to specific areas before the sodium silicate is applied. One the surface has dried, the clay walls are stretched in to the desired shope from the inside resulting in a unique, one-off crackled finish. Voila! A one-off piece of handcrafted ceramic. Watch the process below.

Kneading Clay

I use white stoneware or porcelain clay which is kneaded to remove any air bubbles

Centering

The clay is placed on the wheel and centered

Cylinder

Clay is then thrown in to a cylinder shape

Coloured Slip

In this instance, I applied a coloured slip to where I want the texture to be. Sometimes I use oxides or stains or sometimes no colour at all.

Once the applied colour has dried a bit (I tend to use a hot air gun to speed this process up) I brush on sodium silicate.

Shaping

Once the sheen has gone from the applied sodium silicate, I then start stretching/forming the shape of the pot.

You can see where the surface has cracked.

Trimming

I tend to trim off as much as I can before removing the pot from the wheelhead. It is then left to dry sufficiently before final turning/refining

Turning

Finishing

Jan Tomei Ceramics

Welcome to

Signature Designs

using Sodium Silicate

I use white stoneware or porcelain clay which is kneaded to remove any air bubbles

The clay is placed on the wheel and centered

Clay is then thrown in to a cylinder shape

In this instance, I applied a coloured slip to where I want the texture to be. Sometimes I use oxides or stains or sometimes no colour at all.

Once the applied colour has dried a bit (I tend to use a hot air gun to speed this process up) I brush on sodium silicate.

Once the sheen has gone from the applied sodium silicate, I then start stretching/forming the shape of the pot.

You can see where the surface has cracked.

I tend to trim off as much as I can before removing the pot from the wheelhead. It is then left to dry sufficiently before final turning/refining

In this example, the moon jar was turned and the separately thrown foot ring was added and left to dry before firing.

Video of process

Jan Tomei Ceramics

Signature Designs

using Sodium Silicate

I use white stoneware or porcelain clay which is kneaded to remove any air bubbles

​The clay is placed on the wheel and centered

Clay is then thrown in to a cylinder shape

In this instance, I applied a coloured slip to where I want the texture to be. Sometimes I use oxides or stains or sometimes no colour at all. ​ Once the applied colour has dried a bit (I tend to use a hot air gun to speed this process up) I brush on sodium silicate.

Once the sheen has gone from the applied sodium silicate, I then start stretching/forming the shape of the pot. ​ You can see where the surface has cracked.

I tend to trim off as much as I can before removing the pot from the wheelhead. It is then left to dry sufficiently before final turning/refining

​In this example, the moon jar was turned and the separately thrown foot ring was added and left to dry before firing.

Video of process

The clay is placed on the wheel and centered

In this instance, I applied a coloured slip to where I want the texture to be. Sometimes I use oxides or stains or sometimes no colour at all.

Once the applied colour has dried a bit (I tend to use a hot air gun to speed this process up) I brush on sodium silicate.

Once the sheen has gone from the applied sodium silicate, I then start stretching/forming the shape of the pot.

You can see where the surface has cracked.

In this example, the moon jar was turned and the separately thrown foot ring was added and left to dry before firing.