Mattie and Jim Westphal are a married couple that has found a way to achieve artistic harmony by working on one project in separate steps. Mattie starts it, Jim handles the middle steps, and they both work on the conclusion. They make stoneware vessels that start as sculpture and end up being functional art.
Mattie begins the process by carving clay with the images of elephants. If she stopped there, she would still have a wonderful piece of art on her hands. The sculpture is fired and then passed along to Jim. He uses plaster to make molds of this sculpture. The molds must be done in sections, so the handle, lid, and elephant embellishment that becomes part of the lid are their own pieces and the body is done in two. This allows for the vessel to later be removed without any damage.
Once the mold is dry, colored stoneware slip is poured into mold pieces. After a short while, the slip has adhered to the plaster where the two elements come in contact. Excess slip is poured out of the mold, and what remains in the mold is left to dry. All pieces are removed from the molds and immediately joined. This is left to dry again; once a leather-hard texture is achieved, all the seams are cleaned up with tools and a damp rag.
The piece is fired; then several types of glaze are applied. The body is colored with an underglaze that is used to achieve an antique look; the glaze is applied and then wiped off slightly. Once all the glazing is completed, the vessel is fired again to bring it to its final appearance. The outcome is unique in design and its large size--it can hold almost a gallon of liquid. It is also a project that both partners have put their heart (and sweat) into.
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