Ceramicist Carol Sils takes great pleasure in the delicate process of making her female vessels with the sensitive medium of porcelain. Though her "shi hu" sculptures closely resemble tea pots, they are actually nonfunctional vessels celebrating all aspects of womanhood. Sils is influenced by Chinese traditions, and the title "shi hu" (she who) is a pun, as in "she who travels" or "she who endeavors."
She throws each piece by hand in three main sections. She starts aptly at the base, which is thrown thicker than the next two sections to provide a more weighted bottom, since these vessels stand about 20 inches tall when finished. She then throws the middle section, trims it, and attaches it to the base. At this time she’ll add accents like leaves or a single jewel, depending on the piece. Then she forms the handle and spout, which over the evolution of this series has become more like a kimono sleeve than a proper spout. Next, she throws the top section, forming the "bone structure" for the female face by hand. To add features to the face, she builds them up by brushing on more porcelain. Once the face is complete, she attaches the top to the rest of the piece and then lets it slowly dry over a week-and-a-half to a month!
Once it’s completely bone dry, she bisque fires it in a gas kiln, which results in about 15 percent shrinkage overall. She covers the face with wax to protect it and glazes her pieces with celadon (aqua blue) or tomoku (brown), again in a gas kiln. Finally, the unique touch that adds a spark of life to these vessels is a careful blend of up to five metallic powders, which she applies to the face. It’s important that the complexion of the face goes well with the glaze; at this time she may also add a little blush to the cheeks. She spray lacquers the powders into place, and the piece is finished.
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