I knew it, I just knew it ... I knew from the combination of ingredients I used in my recent quadraxial tests that I would find among the middle tiles a 'WINNER'. Some of the corners of the group of tests were odd ingredients in odd proportions - no I am not telling and NO there is no chrome in here. I felt that by being extreme and not playing it safe I would score a good one. Here it is ... I was looking for high colour and crusty texture and I found it. Now to use this one as a starting point for more tests, line blends here I come. There were a few other gems in there among the 25 tiles in this kiln load. These are for more sculptural works, NOT functional work. The favourite looks a bit flakey and was only fired to 1000 C, but is in fact well bonded to the surface. I am very, very pleased. More in the kiln already to try out a few more temperature ranges. Woo Hoo! Oh boy all that study of glaze tech at ANU has really empowered me. Thank you Gail Nicholl, Janet DeBoos and Greg Daly - MWAH!! Now I hope you are about to pop over to Mud Colony blog to catch up with my potter pals who blog for your information and entertainment.
So how did you get the texture in that first picture? neat colors.
ReplyDeleteWhoa! That is so cool Elaine!
ReplyDeleteI love the colours and texture! Would it be rough to touch..as in so rough it might cut you? I know so little (make that nothing at all) and to tell you the truth they scare me a little! Hopefully that will come. I have recently puchased Robin Hopper's trilogy so I have some reading up to do on it!
ReplyDeleteAmy - sorry, I did answer your question a few days ago but the ether seems to have absorbed it, the little areas of gritty looking texture are from deposits of silicon carbide. They settled fast to the end of the test pots so I scooped some out onto the tiles to see what would happen. I suspect the stuff which is quite heavy, would settle fast no matter what I did but I intend to fiddle with the composition a little to see what makes a difference. I don't think I would spray this glaze because I think it would block the spray gun nozzle and anyhow the whole point is to get a colourful textural variegated dry surface. I know engobes would do it but this is just one of several finishes I am looking into.
ReplyDeleteBrenda - that little curl of glaze you see peeling off tile 13 is not sharp edged but it is a very dry glaze so it would not be a joy to touch in the tactile sense , but not sharp or dangerous either - as it currently stands, and remember this just the first set to give me some information to work on and use in future tests.
Hi Elaine - I've been doing some testing at the same temp and a bit lower and a bit higher - I wanted the chrome orange so that it is weather safe (I use lithium and it leaches out in the weather). Could use a sealer on the glaze (which my potter mates tell me to do), but I'd love to get the colour in a glaze that is "weather safe". Love the textures from the silicon carbide. My clowns have the chrome orange glaze on them and I do use a sealer, but suggest they are not weather safe. There is also an interesting chartreuse yellow - lana wilson recipe (I could give it to you - message me on Facebook). I also put frits in them so they do melt a bit, but not too much. My higher temp glazes (1100) are based on a recipe for Fraser Dry that I got at college, i've played with it to get a bigger range of colours, it is weather safe and quite textured (and I'm sure would benefit from the silicon carbide treatment)!! Cheers Ellen
ReplyDeleteEllen, I know it is a personal thing but I reckon when you have to use a sealer on a piece for outdoors, it is somehow lacking ceramic wise, I mean, it is not truly going to be long lasting and enduring against the elements. I think I feel this way, only because it is to withstand life outdoors and lets face it Oz outdoors is remarkably harsh, but also, the lacquers have a way of failing over the years, eroding, breaking down, whatever it is they do.
ReplyDeleteI have a whole book of Lana Wilson recipes - we should talk - but I think for what you are achieving engobes might be better. I was thinking like Simone Fraser's. Do you know them? I found an article with her recipes lately online. Could probably find the link again later if you don't get there first. AS for my own aims with the colour and volcanic texture etc, I think it is just the beginning of a long on again off again romance.