The chanukiot have been underglazed. They are drying, brightening up my dingy kiln room. (They have not been fired yet. If I stood them in a bucket of water, these raw chanukiot would dissolve.) They do not have a clear glaze over them yet, either.
(Lots of time is spent getting these right. Photo Mimi Stadler 2014)
First, they got a coat of many (underglaze) colors. Then I waxed the whole surface of each one, to protect the colors before the next phase of work. I let the wax dry. That's why they look a bit shiny.
I cut line drawings through the waxed colors with a small, sharp tool, revealing bare clay wherever I incised. Then I inlaid color into the lines I just cut. The wax around the lines resisted the underglaze color I was adding. But the bare clay inside the lines absorbed it. I'm able to create a pretty crisp image with this technique. The wax will burn away in the first firing, known as the "bisque fire", which goes to about 1860 degrees Fahrenheit. Then I'll cover the chanukia with clear glaze, and fire it to 2230 degrees Fahrenheit. (More photos then.)
The third one hasn't had its sgraffito treatment yet. It just has a base-coat of colors that remind me of a sunset:
(Photo Mimi Stadler 2014)