raku vase.

A wonderful raku-vase, signed by Greg Rice on the base.
Unfortunately I have no further information.
If you know anything, please e-mail or comment.

Yunomi.

This shape/form is known as Yunomi in Japan; traditionally used for drinking tea.

This is my new favourite cup.
Glazed with a thin nuka (ash) glaze; the ash this time consists of only ash tree and has an addition of 3% bentonite, and I think the spots are from the bentonite.




Recipe for Nuka glaze, cone 10 Oxidation.

Wood ash_33
Silica_33
Potash Feldspar_33
Water_1.5 times the weight of dry ingredients. (consistency of full cream milk)

add 3% bentonite to help keep the glaze in suspension.
The downside of bentonite though is, it takes a lot of effort to sieve the first time.

Bowl.

While I'm at it, here is a bowl that I made back around 1999/2000.

A favourite, I think because of the glaze mainly. It looks like frosted ice; though it does not show in a photo. 

Porcelain.

Cone 10. Oxidation.

Another plate.

A plate made a little later than the one from the last post; Dated 1998.


Slab rolled.
Stoneware.
Cone 10. Oxidation.

Plate.

Taken out of storage, I have had this little plate and some others sitting on my side table for the last few weeks.
Out of curiosity of its age, I flipped it over this morning and found a date of 1997.
Time has flown by, must be one of the first plates I made.
I think I might make a few more and see if I can still match its subtle nature. Or, perhaps I should leave well alone, and kid myself that I could.


Slab rolled.
Porcelain.

Cone 10. Oxidation.

Fire and ash.

Photo: andrew widdis

Mid Winter is the best time for ash glaze.
Yesterday, freezing, I loaded up the fireplace in the studio. Nothing beats a fire on a cold Winters day.
Today its ash is being included (33%) in a new batch of Nuka (ash) glaze.
This must be the most cost effective glaze; Having one life giving warmth and then the next, giving glaze to a vessel.

Nuka glaze recipe in previous post.

NUKA glaze.

nuka glaze_photo: andrew widdis

It's cold, wet and incredibly windy today and getting dark early (4:30PM). Not even mid Winter yet and I'm counting the days to Spring.
I've been having the fireplaces going constantly; and so hot that a cleaned fireplace will still be hot enough to lite twigs (guess I can get that Scout badge now, don't even one match) without the need to use matches or lighter.
So I've had some ash to make a glaze with.

Recipe for Nuka glaze, cone 10 Oxidation.

Wood ash_33

Silica_33

Potash Feldspar_33

Water_same weight as dry ingredients.

Specifically my recipe:
Cone 10 Oxidation.
A mix of Eucalyptus (iron bark) and Ash tree ash_33
Silica_33
Potash Feldspar_33

Water_same weight as dry ingredients.

Note: Ash changes from tree to tree, and environment to environment: Basically a result of what it takes up from the ground around.