Crafting My Own Watercolor Painting Palette with Ceramic in SoCal!

A few weeks back, I spent my holidays in Southern California. California is among my favorite states in the USA. I always feel at home when I'm there. I adore the natural beauty and how it inspires me to paint plein air with my watercolors.

While I was there, I discovered a charming ceramic studio called the Mud House. I reached out to them to see if I could make my own ceramic painting palette, and they agreed!

How to create a ceramic painting palette

I scheduled a ceramic class, and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and imaginative experiences of my vacation. Molding the clay and using my fingers to form shapes where the paint would go was incredibly fun...

The Mud House, Encinitas, CA

Here is what I learnt during my lesson:

♡ Creating with clay is accessible to everyone! It's enjoyable, simple, and incredibly rewarding to craft your own piece.

♡ You can make anything with clay. I crafted my watercolor ceramic palette in just 20 minutes.

♡ After crafting your piece, simply let it dry and then cook it.

♡ Once it is cooked, you can select a color for the glazing.

STEP 1: SHAPING MY PALETTE BY FLATTENING THE CLAY

I already had in mind how I wanted my palette so it was fast

STEP 2: SHAPING THE CLAY TO FORM THE AREAS FOR PAINT DISPLAY AND MIXING (my favorite part!)

I especially loved to use my fingers to create soft areas

It was so great. I created two extra palettes

STEP 3: CAREFULLY SMOOTH OUT EVERY CORNER AND THE OVERALL SHAPE OF THE PALETTE

Et voilà! While creating, it was crucial to ensure the palette was neither too thick nor too thin.

However, this is not the conclusion! The clay needs to dry before it is put into the oven

"It takes between 3-5 weeks for your pottery to go through a process to completion. After you throw your clay, it needs to dry enough to be considered “leather hard” so it can be trimmed. Trimming removes excess clay and allows a second opportunity to shape, add texture or clean up your piece. Once it has been trimmed, it needs to dry enough to be considered “bone dry” so it can be bisque fired. Once it has been bisqued, your piece will be glazed and then returns to the kiln for a second firing at a higher temperature." The Mudd House

Completing this workshop was incredibly fulfilling, and I'm thrilled to have crafted my own painting palette. I hope it encourages you to make your own!

I'm using my palette every time I create watercolors

Naïma

Explore my watercolor creations available for sale!