Italian Ceramic Painting

A look at a Russian artist's ceramic teapots.

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Russian-born artist Simona Alexandrov loves painting and ceramics...so much so that she combines both passions in her incredible artworks. Using a rare Renaissance technique, Simona's hand-painted ceramic vessels are making waves on both sides of the world.

Simona's Italian-styled ceramic teapots begin with her throwing clay at her wheel. Using wood sculpting tools, she crafts the unique geometric body of the pot.

Once the spout and other attachments are completed, she begins using the Italian majolica technique--a 16th century style she's adopted from the Italian masters--for painting directly onto the pot. She first dips the pot in a white underglaze.

Then she begins to paint and decorate the clay surface with sulfate paints. Several layers are applied, and each layer is alternated with its own underglaze. Through multiple firings, a unique lustrous quality comes out in the painted surface.

Gold content paint is then added in the detail work, giving the finished teapot a delightful iridescence. A final low-heat firing completes the process. In addition to teapots, Simona also creates larger vessels, platters and paintings.