Playing with glaze

Autumn is defintely in the air here. Last week I played around with a few glaze combinations and this is what came out. I really like the rust undertones in these pieces with one of my favourtite blue green glazes. These feel very autumn, even winter to me.

But this is my favourite of all. I've used this pattern as a button time and again. I've never used it as a pendant. Who knows why? But I love the brown in this one. It reminds me of certain seed pods that go very deep brown in autumn. I have no idea if this one can be done in a similar way again. But I'm pretty sure I'll try.

I'm on a very tight schedule here. Three events in one week with only about 3 weeks to get ready for the first. So I'm a little tired tonight but I do see the light at the end of the tunnel.

New batik patterns and glaze

I recently aquired a new batik stamp that is Persian in origin. It's got a much finer line detail than the Indian stamp I've been using and I wasn't sure how well the detail would get picked up when glazed. But, I just have to say I am pleased and this is a glaze combination that I could just use over and over again, and probably wouldn't get bored with for a while.

These are 4 of the little trays I fired yesterday. They are somewhere around 4 inches square. I love the orientation of the top right one. If you squint your eyes just right, it looks a little like a row of minarettes. I know some of you have wondered if I'll list any of these and I'm thinking that I've just about got figured out how to reasonably ship these in a safe way.

So here's the new glaze that I tweaked and tested yesterday. It's called ocean green and as far as I can see there is no ocean at all about it. It has also been described as a putrid brown and I find that a little harsh. On my white stoneware (left) I think it has a lovely autumnal feel to it. On porcelain (right), well, nothing to write home about, bit boring, bland.... but not putrid. Maybe putrid is an 'in the eye of the beholder' sort of judgement.

But that glaze overlays really nicely with the brown glaze I've been using on pots. The leaf on the right is just the brown glaze, which is OK but the one on the left, I am in love with. The detail shows the incredible crystal pattern that happened when I put the 'ocean green' over the brown. In the potter's world, this kind of crystal development is a whole science of it's own. Can I repeat it? Don't know, but I've got the small kiln going right now and we'll find out tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for stopping by my little corner!