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I have been applying a graphic to both ceramics and wood that I first saw used in textiles.  It was derived from Ukrainian embroidery, and it was used by Nina Bych in a silk-painted kimono, derived from  ’…Early Trepilian ceramics, with their precise black and brown geometric designs…’ (Tuckman and Janas, The Best of Silk Painting,  1997, p. 79.

Somehow, in my memory, the design elements recall  ’the Roumanian Blouse,’ after the painting by Matisse, which has a red background, but not a strong bicolor graphic.    It is very much like Matisse, however, to look for decorating schemes that challenge both line and perspective.

I used the graphic scheme first on a pottery vase, with a resist line around the flower segments.  

Then I tried it on a platter, using two tones of brown oil colors to lift the flower petals slightly above the surface of the stripes.  It is important to keep a strong color in the outline of the petals.  The carved lines between the stripes and around the petals creates a channel to carry the color.  This seems to be a key step in making the design work.

For the vase and the platter, just one color is added to a background that functions as the second color.

turned wooden platter

The study piece for the goblet goes back to the red and black version of the graphic.   There are multiple combinations for the interior, cup, step, and base.  I will need to turn quite a few of these to find the best choice.

study for goblet