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test tile bake-off at nceca?

updated tue 17 mar 98

 

Janet H Walker on mon 16 mar 98

In the course of lots of back-and-forth email about the Wild Rose
Tenmoku glaze recipe that was posted on ClayArt, John Post decided
to send me some test tiles of his results with the original and
reformulated glazes. Well!! Knock me over with a feather. Of
course his results were "the opposite" of mine. So my currently
firing tests will be in the mail to him shortly so he can see what
I'm getting from "the same" recipe.

It occurs to me that we could do a bigger version of this same
exercise real soon now in Dallas, at NCECA, in the wonderful room
that Mel has arranged for us all. Instead of starting every
conversation with "So THAT'S what you look like" we could talk
about our glaze sample tiles!

Here's the proposal:
Bring a few sample tiles with you of (a) your favorite glazes to
share or (b) some glaze you got off ClayArt or (c) some glaze that
is giving you one heck of a problem or (d) whatever. Also, have the
recipe (and firing schedule) with you in your backpack. Bring the
samples along to the ClayArt room at the Worthington. Talk about
'em with folks.

I don't know whether there is any possibility of having a corkboard
or pegboard or something to hang up samples on. Maybe, maybe not.
It's up to the hotel gods. But if everyone has some pieces of fired
clay clanking in their pockets, I'm sure we'll come up with some
kind of display idea.

I'm willing to work up a little information display form, for
collecting some minimal details, just so people can identify who
they want to talk with. The forms could be in a pile somewhere in
the room, to be filled out by anyone with a piece of fired clay to
be so tagged.

Got the gist across? What do you think? (By the way, if you're
coming to NCECA, don't forget to bring pictures of your work and
copies of your business card!!) And maybe, samples of your glaze
test tiles!!

Hoping for some enthusiasm...
Jan Walker
Cambridge MA USA