This Talavera mug project is a class I recently taught in Salina, Kansas and I loved it so much, I made it into a tutorial!
The event was held by Robin and Julie Cates, owners of On the Pot Painting Studio. They’ve been in business for 16 years and hold this three-day meet-up to help other studios learn and grow their own shops.
Bisque Imports is a company I’ve been working with and they make the coolest ceramic blanks I’ve ever seen! One of their new releases is this facted mug.
I thought it would be cool to only use blue and paint it in Talavera-inspired designs.
Here are some pictures from the class! Everyone loved the project and they were all so creative!
The conference was for owners of paint on pottery studios, so there were classes for painting and workshop ideas as well as business and entrepreneurship. I loved that on the first day, Julie and Robin had each person write down what they hoped to get from the event. Then on the last day, they read each note out loud to make sure each person had their wish granted!
TIPS FOR DIY TALAVERA MUGS
Base coat with ivory for a more authentic Talavera look.
Use a #4 liner brush to get nice clean swoosh lines. Use a dark blue underglaze, like Dark Sapphire (CN353) from Duncan Ceramics.
Apply three coats. Let dry, then dip or brush on clear glaze and fire at Cone 06.
I love it!:) I need to invest in a kiln for sure:)