Tall Jar with Figures

Christine LePage earned her B.S. in Art Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1971. "This work is low-fired and unglazed. The objects are burnished with a stone when partially dry, and then painted with a refined clay slip called terra sigillata, or "earth seal." This slip was used by ancient Greek, Roman, and South American Indian potters. After being fired to cone 012 (1550 degrees F), the pieces are placed in barrels with straw and sawdust. The sawdust is ignited from the top and smolders for three to twelve hours. The carbon from incomplete combustion impregnates the porous clay surfaces, causing the white slips to turn black. On some of the pieces there is evidence of a hotter, faster firing, and marks of the flame result from the ignited straw re-oxidizing the black surfaces. Because of the nature of the firing, these pieces must remain porous. They are not designed to contain water, or to resist abrasion by sharp objects." LePage lives and works in Wisconsin and has been a full-time potter since 1975. She has also been a teacher of ceramics and general art throughout her career. "My most recent pieces deal with images that are subjected to change: change of direction as they flow over sculpted surfaces, and change of mood as the fire and smoke interact with their glossy and matte surfaces."