Wednesday, October 16, 2013

ASH RUN

Illustrated is yet another experiment using ash, this time over a rich, iron and talc glaze. The bowl was thrown off the hump with the undulating lip and rib marks added as casually as I was able and once bisque, the piece was glazed and fired and then cooled as slowly as was possible. The ash itself is a mixture of medium and soft wood ashes together with a tiny addition of rutile to enhance the color and this may have also helped contribute to the flow of the glaze as it melted. Though evenly dipped in the ash glaze, I was very surprised by the pattern that emerged as the glaze melted and ran. Though I harbor a natural pessimism when it comes to one off tests being reproducible, I will keep my fingers crossed and try this combo on a slightly larger piece next glaze firing. I know I have said this before, but I am just constantly amazed at the nearly infinite number of variations you can achieve with only a hand full of materials. This is most likely that moment a teachers told you about years ago as to why you would need chemistry, but you slept through class anyway.
"You can not teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself." Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)