Helioflora Red Earth 1

Large bottle vase coil built from gorgeous fine textured terracotta clay. This vessel was made by rolling individual clay coils and stacking them together, a process that takes several days. Hand painted abstract flower painting using lead free underglazes in cobalt blue and hot orange, the painting is fired onto the clay at its final firing at 1130C. Glazed inside with glossy transparent glaze, fully water tight and functional. Not dishwasher safe because this earthenware clay is not as hardy as stoneware clays. I advise cleaning with warm water, also rubbing the unglazed surface with coconut oil really brings out the paint colour! 

These are my favourite vessels from this collection, please note that as these are hand built and not wheel thrown, their form is organic, and not exactly symmetrical or machine-perfect. I feel that it really brings out the character of the clay, and because of the lower firing temperature that terracotta requires, the underglaze paints take on an amazingly soft, velvety surface that is super smooth and tactile. 

34cm tall