Earth and Sky; Sun and Soil. The hand-carved Celtic Knot Oak Tree plaque entwines branches and roots in an endless dance, weaving above and below. The Celtic Knot Oak Tree is my original design, though it plays off the traditional Tree of Life motif. With no beginning or end, the knot in Celtic art symbolizes interconnectedness and eternity, and the oak symbolizes strength, wisdom and nobility.
The creation of the plaque is quite labor intensive, and carving and glazing alone takes tens of hours to complete! At some point soon (crossing my fingers), I will be posting a tutorial in the “Get Your Hands Dirty” section of my blog, detailing my process for creating these carved tiles. But, until that time, here is the abridged version.
The plaque is shaped from a single slab of stoneware clay. Each line of the woven design, and each dot of texture on the background, is meticulously hand-carved into the surface of the clay using a series of small, metal tools.
After the design carving is complete, the piece is allowed to dry for a couple weeks before it is fired for the first time. After the first firing, the plaque is hand-glazed with brushes, and the lines between the knots are filled with glaze using an adapted syringe. The piece is then fired for a second time to over 2000oF to ensure long-lasting beauty and durability.
Dimensions: The Oak Knot Plaque is approximately 11-inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. It weighs about 4 pounds.
Interested in purchasing the Oak Knot Plaque? Check out the Blue Willow Studio Shop.
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