A passion for pottery

Annabelle Johnson’s mother drilled it into her daughter that scissors were used to cut fabric only.

Photo by Kristen Poppenhouse, Eagle staff
Buy this photo »

Annabelle Johnson demonstrated how to create a monoprint slab at the Art League of Marco Island on Sunday. She began by painting with various colors of velvet underglaze on plaster.

On Sunday, Johnson used her scissors for another purpose.

“Cutting clay with scissors would make my mother roll in her grave,” she said.

Johnson demonstrated how to create a monoprint slab at the Art League of Marco Island. She said it’s a monoprint because you only get one print off each piece.

After her demonstration, attendees viewed her artwork in the Art League’s Living With Color, a fine-art exhibit. Other artists exhibiting artwork until Jan. 31 include Nancy Hall, Mandy Johnson and Charles Emery Ross.

Johnson began by using a black velvet underglaze and painting a design on plaster. In addition to brushes, she used tiny bottles with nozzles, painting a very fine line.

She painted some designs using colors. She said that she’s not a real color person, so she doesn’t mix colors herself, but instead, uses what is provided. She added that with the underglaze colors, what you see is what you get.

Johnson threw her first pot when she was 10 years old. But, it was when she met a potter in Naples that she realized she could make money by crafting pots. She has a studio in Naples and she produces all of her own work.

Because she was speeding up the process during Sunday’s demonstration, she used paper towels to blot and take off the moisture. Normally she said she would let it sit for five to 10 minutes.

Photo by Kristen Poppenhouse, Eagle staff
Buy this photo »

After Johnson painted on the plaster she used a paint brush to put white clay on top of it. After that she put terracotta clay on it. Her artwork will be on display at the Art League's Living With Color, a fine-art exhibit, until Jan. 31.

She also would normally do layers and layers of paint, but she was working on a smaller scale Sunday.

Johnson used a lot of purple simply because she said it was the color she had a lot of.

“You can draw anything you want,” she said. “I’m not much of a drawer.”

On top of the paint, she used white clay because she wanted the color value to have white behind it. She recommended going in a cross pattern to make sure it got under the glaze and stuck well.

Next, she used terracotta clay after she’d liquefied it and put it through a strainer to get all of the clumps out. Everything she used was just another layer on top of her original piece.

She rolled out a piece of clay and put it on top of the terracotta clay.

On the other half of her plaster, where she was doing the same thing, after she added the terracotta clay she put a piece of cheesecloth on top and then covered it in terracotta clay.

Photo by Kristen Poppenhouse, Eagle staff
Buy this photo »

Johnson brought a decorated slab she'd previously made to display a finished mold. In this decorated mold she had fish, dragonflies, palm trees and tennis balls.

She said after firing the piece, the cheesecloth would disappear, and add strength to the clay.

A piece she’d made a few days earlier was ready to be cut with scissors.

Johnson said she likes to make handles, which wouldn’t be possible without the cheesecloth. Handles may be already decorated or you can cut out shapes to place on a pot.

She had a plaster mold shaped like a shallow boat. She said plastic-coated calendars are good to make the patterns.

She used the pattern to cut the oval shape out of a decorated slab she brought with her. She smoothed the slab over the mold.

Johnson recommended using pottery plaster because it absorbs more moisture and gives a longer setup time when working with it. She used a pastry roller to put the slab on the plaster mold.

“With clay, timing is everything,” Johnson said. “Can’t take off mold too soon because it won’t hold the shape. Can’t put handles on too soon because they’ll fall off. Unfortunately there’s no rushing clay.”

Johnson brought a finished mold with her. She used very little water to smooth the edges. She warned that since the work is already decorated, too much water would make it run.

Her decorated mold had fish, dragonflies and palm trees on it. She leaves the bottom the natural color with terracotta because she likes that color.

She said the dish can be used in an oven and dishwasher.

She even lets her dogs eat out of them.

“If you let the dogs eat out of them, you know they’re safe,” Johnson said.

Living With Color

-- What: a fine-art exhibit

-- When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday until Jan. 31

-- Where: Art League of Marco Island, 1010 Winterberry Drive

-- Contact number: 394-4221