“China Painting” or “Porcelain Painting” is a very old art form first used to create ornamental objects and decorative place settings. As far back as 1756, each piece was individually hand painted by artists. The patterns and designs that are on much of the decorative china we see today have been stamped or screened on the plates and accessories.

The art is created by brushing on a special mixture of minerals and oils onto fired porcelain. The images are then set in a Kiln for several hours. Since the porcelain is not porous, all of the images sit on top of the piece until fired, limiting the amount of work that can be done at any one time. Many of the simplest pieces are fired 4 or 5 times, having a piece fired 10 or more times is not uncommon.

The brushwork is done with very fine brushes or quill pens. To create the deep color in Denise’s work, she must lay down several overlapping layers of color, firing each piece between layers. All of these pieces are created by hand, no stamping or stencils are used. Each piece is unique and beautiful.

We invite you to learn more at the following sites: -

International Porcelain Artists and Teachers, Inc, (IPAT)

The World Organization of China Painters

Porcelain Painters International Online

Swiss Association of China Painters