Lili Krakowski on fri 1 jun 12
I am not trying to be difficult, but I think there is NO permanently =3D
well-adjusted glaze.
What we have, cherish, pass along, are recipes that work for us in our =3D
given circumstances. =3D20
The master recipe providers like the wonderful Richard Behrens carefully =
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concocted glazes, and published the recipes. And I have tested and used =
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several.
And CM published the glaze recipes of Hobart Cowles. And Emmanuel =3D
Cooper put out a fat compendium of glaze recipes. Etc. But recipes do =3D
not stay put.
So this material is no longer to be had, it needs to be replaced. And =3D
several possible replacements are tried by as many potters.
So with GB gone for most of us. this frit and that frit is used, and =3D
they are Frits X and Y in this country, and A and B in Britain.
And then the fit is not so good, so instead of kaolin, ball clay is used =
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or vice versa . And on and on.
As the clay bodies change, and we all use different ones, this wonder =3D
glaze crazes for me, so I change the recipe. And my new recipe does not =
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mature properly for you, so you doctor it, and yet another recipe =3D
emerges.
And your kiln does this, and mine does that, and you fire with gas, and =3D
I fire electric--and the same glaze from the same bucket will mature =3D
differently.
Limit formulas are nice. They do no real good, they may prevent extreme =
=3D
errors, but they are nice. They are a bit like greeting cards. The =3D
well-loved child with a wonderful mother gives her a charming Mother's =3D
Day card out of love. And the throw-away child with a ghastly mother =3D
gives her the same identical card out of a mixture of fear and anxiety. =
=3D
Limit formulas are the greeting cards. =3D20
With all that said, it would be wiser I think to teach new potters about =
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the families of glaze--that there are many children, cousins, aunts, =3D
uncles, steps. but they all belong to families--like the High Alkalines, =
=3D
and the Calcium Borates, the Shinos, the Adventurines. (Lovely people =3D
all) And let the recipes fall as they may.=3D20
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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