Saturday, August 16

Wicked awesome test mug #4 results

So, as you can see from my post title I am pretty pleased with these last results. There are still a few issues I need to deal with, but huge potential I think. The blue really looks nice with my palette, and in practice it interfaces well with the other glazes-a huge plus. I got these issues though, you can even see it in this photo above. My white liner glaze blisters unpredictably, or rather maybe too predictably and I am finding the risk of this unacceptable. I am quite certain this is directly related to my clay body. It doesn't behave this way on porcelain, or if I use it over slip. I have a really high iron body and has been difficult finding glazes that co-exist well with it. But it's the best looking and most mature body I have tested. So I need to do something about that.

This cup above is glazed the same way as the one above it. If you click on the picture you might be able to see a nice attribute of this blue however. Where it breaks over edges it shows the dark body, but then fades away from the dark edge into a pale, whitish color, then goes to blue. This gives it a lot of interest I think. I think it probably has to be the right thickness for this to happen. You can see I chose to have a cup of tea in this one.
This matt black and the blue have a real potential together I think. The issue which you can see on the cup below is that I have to be careful not to let the liner glaze become too thick on the rim or I can get shivering. I know this is not a result of the two glazes meeting, because usually it is fine and I have frequently ecountered this issue in the past with the black liner. So, that should be an easy problem to deal with.

So, below is the same glaze combo as way up above, but with the blue as a liner. Unfortunately I got a few pinholes around the inside of the rim. I am first going to approach this as maybe the glaze was too thick because I held it in the cup for several seconds before draining out. So we'll see about that.

Adam gave me an amazing critique this morning. I thought it was very thoughtfully done and very astute/intuitive/perceptive. He was very happy with the mugs and said that he could really see the style and direction that I am going in. He described the work as playful, whimsical and not really "perfect", but in an intentional way. What did he say, something like the work is mature but yet has a child like quality. He said it way better but it really impressed me how thoughtful his critique was. He noticed the blisters and such said he has become really aware of how much more there is to making pottery, than just making the pots. How many issues need to be dealt with etc. He looks at pottery now with a different eye because of what he has learned from living with me, and has become a professional s-crack spotter. I really appreciated his feedback this morning. It was positive yes, but most importantly inspiring.

So I think this blue, if it can stand the test of a few more test firings is going to be a welcome addition to my work. I know I said a few posts back that I was getting rid of blue, but I was glazing a lot of my work in blue allover, and I think my intention now is to just use this to compliment and highlight the cups with a little color sometimes. I can't wait to test these glazes on that test clay. It's bisqueing now. It has this dark brown, reddish quality that I hope might really add to the glazes as it peeks through. AND NO GROG!!!! Oh happy day, to throw with clay with no grog. Okay, bye.

8 comments:

klineola said...

I like that glaze and the first thing I thought was, "liner?" and then I scrolled down. By the time I saw the cup with the blue liner I thought again about the overall palette and like it as a deco. So, I guess both would be my vote, but am I registered to vote in ME?

I agree with Adam, they do have a playful maturity.

Ben Stark said...

I think that Adam's critique is very accurate indeed. The blue is great as an accent, and I think that it works well as a liner as well. I really like it with the black. It draws you in to look closer with its contrast with the other glazes. I think that whimsical is a perfect word for describing this work.

Judy Shreve said...

The blue is beautiful -- it's the perfect shade to go with your other glazes. I think mature but with child like qualities is a great description of your work. The handles look good too. Bummer with the blistering -- will a longer hold a peak help smooth out the glaze? Or apply it more thinly? Hope you get it worked out.

Anonymous said...

i dig em, my favorite is the black mattt blue circle..and the first one..i see your work as being open to new experiences...if that makes any sense!

Deb said...

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I'm definitely having a lot of fun with this work. I guess that's how you know you're onto something maybe-when you are enjoying it. At least I don't see glazing as a drudgery any more, although it is far more time consuming.

Laura Elizabeth Jessop said...

Wow, i love the matt black and the blue together. It's very striking. I'm also loving the shape of the mugs too.

Deb said...

Thanks Laura! I have been following your new blog as well-I didn't recognize your name at first on the comment page until I saw your photo-Oh the writer! Thanks for reading.

Linda Starr said...

Love the blue with your other glaze colors. hope the slip dipping goes well next time.

Looking forward to hearing about your booth design. Wew - glad the price was lower - still really steep.