result.

I'm stoked with my clay and glaze tests. 

I've chosen Millennium White Stoneware from Valentine Clays. But really, the differences between that and Arctic White are tiny.

I'll buy 250kg to begin - that's 20 x 12.5kg bags! The most I've ever bought at once was 3 x 10kg bags! Buying in bulk is a whole new concept to me, but it's the only way to operate in an isolated location.

Millennium:

[alt view of above pot]

Arctic:

And of course there was the Porcelain White Stoneware...it's lovely, BUT it dried super quick and the bottoms cracked. It's also more expensive, but I will buy a couple of bags to play with.

 

[yeah I painted the fuchsia the wrong colours...oops.]

okay.

The test pots are fired!

You may remember, on Sunday I posted an anxious post full of 'what ifs'. Thankfully these test pots have calmed my mind regarding 'What if the test glazes don't fit the clays?'.

It's okay Mitchell. The glazes fired nicely, as pre-mixed recipes should. 

(I should note here: in Australia I mixed my own glaze, but now without a local supplier and using different materials, it seems like the safest bet to use a pre-mix in the short term. I won't like it, but it's practical for the time being.)

Now I have the slightly annoying task of choosing between 2 almost identical stoneware clays! 

The porcelain mix is beautiful, but cracked easily and of course, is pricey. 

Wait here, I'll get back to you.

pea green

A photo from glaze mixing in May!

rainbow glaze

I took these photos week ago and this post has been sitting here as a draft since! This is my first run of multicoloured bowls - rainbow colours make me happy.

The red still isn't perfect but it's still rather good. Maybe a thinner application might improve the coverage.

Unfortunately any drips of clear glaze over the top go milky...

The orange is still beautiful and glorious!

The green seems a little unstable with uneven colour coverage, but I do love the colour.

Also it does this:

I don't know what that is - must ask questions around the Potters' Association.

orange and green and black...

Hurrah! for successful glaze tests! Let's hope they work out just as well on the actual pots...

Orange - Walker's FW5808: [l-r] 0.5%, 1%, 4% + 4%

Lime green - [l-r] 4% Yellow Walker's FW5400 + 0.5 %, 0.75%, 1%, 1.5% Copper Carbonate

Black: Walker's FW5601: [l-r] 2%, 3% + 4%

more glaze tests!

Now I have a hopefully-reliable-new-clear-gloss-glaze recipe, I need to retest some pigments for the Miro project.

They'll look way prettier after the firing, promise. Umm, I hope.

Thursday: Our Creative Spaces + Mud Colony.

miro glaze tests

I did these glaze tests for the Miro project about 3 months ago...! Thought I'd better document them before I stash them in a seconds box under the bed.

2, 3 and 4% Walker FW5601 Black (Cobalt Free) stain. All very, er, black. No problems there then.

The red is still a pain.

But the orange is lovely! Though I was rather sloppy when I glazed the test star.

fired eggs

Those bowls from November - fired in Michaela's gas kiln, came out perfectly. I used the same glaze the week before and it was awful?!

 Ah well, I shall take my victories where I can.

 

I'm beginning to appreciate the simple creaminess of white stoneware clay, without my coloured glazes.

The eggs turned out perfectly, just as I imaged them.

Even the iron spots that regularly appear from Michaela's gas kiln don't bug me, in fact they almost add to the eggs.

glaze grumble

I am not proud of this.

I've resorted to buying premixed commercial glaze ingredients. My 'reliable' glaze has mysteriously gone bonkers. Too thick, bubbles, too thin, dry, lumps, crazing. Nightmare. I'm determined to sort it out, but after losing so many good pots to the bad glaze, this is the best interim option. Fingers crossed, eh?

orange!

After, oh 3 months or so, I've finally tested my new orange glaze on an actual pot!

And it's perfect, hurrah!

*Thanks to Jill for featuring a little interview about my work over here.

my (miro) creative space

Gosh, it's been a while since I did a creative space post! 

I've started to play with glaze colours for the miro project; copper carb + yellow, cobalt and yellow. Next, black. But I might settle for a dark grey.

More creative spaces over here! Thanks Kirsty!

colour me glaze

I've been working on expanding my glaze colour range, by adding commercial stains to my clear gloss glaze.

Red - Walkers FW5827
[l-r: 0.5%, 1%, 4% + 4%]

Orange - Walkers FW5808 
[l-r: 0.5%, 1%, 4% + 4%]

Inspired by Lindsay of Suite One Studio, Green
[l-r: 4% Yellow Walkers FW5400 + 0.5 %, 0.75%, 1%, 1.5%, 1.75%, 2%, 2.5%, 2.75% + 3% Copper Carbonate]

I've found that the red and orange stains have changed the gloss of the clear glaze slightly, so I may have to fire them to a cooler temperature.  The yellow + copper carbonate green keeps it's shine beautifully, but over 2.5% the copper carbonate became inconsistent, however the form and texture of the test tiles (mostly smashed up cracked bisque ware!) may be the cause of this.  Next, trying them on pots!
*EDIT: Silly me, I forgot to say that all of these samples were fired to cone 9 oxidation in an electric kiln!

skulls + sieves

Today included; sanding some porcelain skull beads for a Frida Kahlo-inspired outfit

Making some mini glaze sieves out of halva containers [there's slip in this one, not halva - they are very useful sized tubs, not to mention halva is super-yummy]...
...and some old tights. I found that well stretch dernier 50 worked well!

[Thanks muchly to Su Brown for the home made sieve tip!]
Playing around with pots and a new tablecloth
And playing with my awesome new tiny digital scales :)

Hoping the kiln gods are looking over my pots tonight!

Glazing + firing;