Artist Trades = the Best!

I recently completed a trade with the uber-talented watercolorist Kelly McKernan. Check out her website and available artwork/prints HERE.

I completed a partially wheel thrown and partially hand sculpted jewelry tray out of high fire porcelain clay in the shape of a koi-like whiskered and hairy fish with expressive fins per Kelly’s request. Slip colored with blue stain defines the eyes, with pale green glaze on the interior and a responsive copper glaze underneath.

The whiskers are curled upward to allow rings or earrings to dangle securely.

I had to finish sculpting in one day, since porcelain is so finicky and prone to cracking or warping. Fortunately the long hours yielded a successful result.

Some Bright Green glaze colors the fish and tray interior.

 

Ryan’s Green to Black glaze on the exterior, featuring results from a cone 10 salt firing.

Kelly took my suggestions and examples of which pieces in her body of work I loved most and came up with this:

Watercolor painting on 8″ x 8″ cradled watercolor paper by Kelly McKernan.

I know, right? Needless to say it’s gorgeous and I love it. The cradled watercolor paper doesn’t require framing, and just needs a wire installed on the back to hang. If you love it as much as I do the set of mini-prints on Kelly’s web store includes this image, which she titled Elide.

Artist trades really are the best!