I have been making rose sculptures for many years now. It began in May of 2004 when I offered to be a volunteer at Coalport China Museum. I was doing my ceramics degree so wanted some experience. On my first day I was taught how to make roses out of bone china clay by a lovely lady called Mary who had been a demonstrator at museum for years. On day 3 of my practicing making these flower 3 visitors to the museum and asked me how many years I had been making them. This brought fits of giggles from me when my reply was 2 days! It seemed my apprenticeship in rose flower making was over. I was a complete natural. I remember just knowing I would be able to make them before I even tried. I had seen it being done at Gladstone Museum in Stoke not long before. I remember watching the demonstrator just knowing I could make them better, even though I had never made a flower or touched bone china before.
This voluntary role led led to being offered a job as very soon Mary decided to retire. So from then on I have done the odd days work at Coalport China Museum.
In November 2013 my flower people were born. I have used many clays and found a 50/50 porcelain and stone ware clay is ideal for a glazed finish. For a marble, mat or bisc finish I have found parian clay. Parian clay is hard to sculpt with as its not a sculpting clay, however I manage and just love the finish.
This voluntary role led led to being offered a job as very soon Mary decided to retire. So from then on I have done the odd days work at Coalport China Museum.
In November 2013 my flower people were born. I have used many clays and found a 50/50 porcelain and stone ware clay is ideal for a glazed finish. For a marble, mat or bisc finish I have found parian clay. Parian clay is hard to sculpt with as its not a sculpting clay, however I manage and just love the finish.
Click here to see videos of me making flowers.
Click here to learn more about the making of bone china flowers.
Click here to see all my making clay flower tutorials.
I take commissions so do get in touch. If you want them glazed I will make them using porcelain, but if you prefer the white matt marble type finish, Parian is the best clay for that effect, but very hard to work with as its not a modelling clay.
