James Leslie Artist Statement              I have always been moved by how light dances across the leaves of stately trees, filters through the blades of grass in a quiet meadow or the mirrored reflections from lazy streams or placid lakes.  This body of work is a reflection of the impressions nature and light have made upon me each and every day.  A trip to Paris in 2009 brought me to a ceramic exhibition at the Musee de la Ceramique in Rouen.  The title of the exhibition Emaux Atmospheriques la cerique "impressionniste" brought me inside to a wonderful display of painting on pottery which co-existed with the era of 18th century Impressionism.  I was inspired to create my own impressionist pottery with the scenery of home.

James Leslie The Process               My ceramic pottery is a combination of wheel-throwing, hand-building, and texturing.  I apply colored slips and stains to exterior surfaces.  The images are produced in two stages.  first, in the green-ware stage, I paint an under-painting of the desired landscape using slips and stains.  Once bisque fired to cone 06 (1828 degrees F).  I apply color to exterior textures using slips and stains.  I then apply a clear glaze over the image and a variety of glazes to the interior portions and fire to cone 04 (1945 degrees F).  Once glazed, I retouch the image using oil-based china paints to render detail and to highlight color.  I re-fire again at a lower temperature to cone 018 (1319 degrees F).  I repeat the china paint process as needed to acheive desired effects.