TESTING, 1,2,3

Illustrated is a second generation ash test that I have been working on quite recently. This is a basic 1:2:3 glaze composed of, you guessed it, just three materials of which one is wood ash. The first tests were very stiff and had a series of issues but I altered the formula, a basic batch recipe and started off using the glaze much thinner than in the original tests and went from pots, to rings to this bowl with the next test waiting on the bisque and another bowl test before moving on to bigger pieces. Over the years I have become much more careful and judicious in the testing process trying to keep the cost of materials, energy, clay and time down to a minimum and yet the biggest problem still remains, when do you give up on a particular test formula? I can still see the promise in this surface, especially on all the cuts, facets and angles of this bowl and think it is worth just a few more tests considering there is still test glaze available and some bowls just begging to be glazed.