miyceramics – Page 2

Celadon Like Glazes and Tiles

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Denise

Transparent glazes on Tiles

What is a Celadon Glaze? The answer as always in modern day, is it depends. A long long time ago Celadon Glazes came from China. The are transparent made with feldspars and have a light green blue color. Theses glazes where typically fired on porcelain and where fired in reduction where the iron oxide turned a light blue green color.

Celadon Kiln Glazes

Since then Celadons have started varying in color, from darker blues and greens to yellows. Today in modern times a “celadon” glaze is used to categorize a glaze that is transparent in color, hence you can get a celadon red, celadon blue, celadon orange in just about any color you can find a celadon glaze.

Traditionally though celadon is used to describe the lovely blue green color that was coveted by Europeans. In the early 1200′s during the Age of Marco polo the pure white ceramics and porcelian of the Chinese was probably one of the many lucrative reasons that Marco Polo and his many predecessors attempted to find Land and Sea trade routes to Asia.

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Slip Over Red Clay

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Denise

Recently one of our members Andy made some white slip out of the Helios porcelain clay from Highwater Clays that we carry. He has been using slip to pain on his wheel thrown plates with really great results. I love the way they pieces look raw, but the clear glaze that we mix doesn’t seem to make the slip painting stand out, it gets bubbly and opaque when dipped. I think in order to fix this he needs to spray the clear on instead of brushing and dipping.

While on the web I found the blog by Doug Fitch of Devonshire Pottery in the United Kingdom. He uses slip over his wheel thrown pieces. It looks like he painted the white slip over an earthenware or iron bearing clay body.

Slip painted Pitcher from Devonshire Pottery

He wood fires his slip painted pitchers. So it gets and nice earthy warm amber glaze.

Wood Fired Pitcher

Video of Slip Painting

He also has a Youtube video of his slip painting and also of the how he draws out his ideas for the posey flower design he traces on the pitchers.

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Quilted Ceramics By Amy Sanders

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Denise

Amy Sanders uses stamp appliques and stamping to create these complete quilted forms. Her inspiration comes from patterns of fabric and her history of sewing. This is a handbuilt flower bud vase. I love here use of glaze color and finish to give the look of quilted fabric swatches. Shiny and Matt glazes as well as raw clay oxide washed areas really enhance the look.

Inney and outey stamps and decoration using breaking glazes

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Bread Pots

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Denise

Here is an idea for making ceramics pots for cooking. JUDITH MOTZKIN MAKES WHEEL THROWN, STRONG, SIMPLE, UNGLAZED, COVERED STONEWARE POT FOR BAKING NO KNEAD AND OTHER BREADS. “BECAUSE I NEEDED ONE.”