glaze close ups

Glazing is endless possibilities, so I set some parameters for myself. Pots are fired at cone 10, and in this age of industrialization, I include at least 1 raw, local ingredient, either ash from local trees or swamp clay. Before bisqueing, pots are layered in total or partially with clay of a different colour and lower maturing temperature, then scratched through to see some of the underlying clay. Bisque, then glazed with a mostly all wood ash glaze and ash slurry washed over some or all of that. The under lying clay melts a little, the glaze softens and the ash on top runs.

scraffito leaves

The play of light and shadow on leaves is so lovely to contemplate. I could not imagine how to capture that in ceramics, but when messing around with scaffito designs, guess what came up. Leaves. The pots are coiled and pinched, high fired.

barrel fired pinch pots

These are pots from the last barrel firing. They are pinched [8lbs] from a PSH raku clay. A pale body, smooth, appropriate for all firing temperatures. I also use this clay for high fire. The body is polished, carved. The smoke does its' magic helped by salt, iron and copper.