search  current discussion  categories  materials - misc 

micaceous glazes/clays

updated sun 14 jan 01

 

Joyce Lee on sat 13 jan 01


I once met a New Mexican Native American in a campground where her horse
wrangler husband was wrangling the owner's horses. She showed me how she
made the very nicely formed "mica" bowls she was taking to a "store" in
Silver City, N.M. which carried her pottery. She fired the bowls in her
camper oven. They were self-glazed and were, in fact, shiny. When I
asked if one could serve food in them (this was five years ago.... I
knew zilch ... as compared to now when I know zilchplus), she responded
"Oh, yes..." When I inquired whether they wouldn't be terribly porous if
fired at kitchen oven temperatures, she said that it wasn't a problem
because she fired them in the oven at its highest temperature TWICE for
about an hour each time.... contrasted with "some other locals" who
fired only once. They WERE elegant in appearance... She was selling the
bowls for $22.00 each and potential buyers were waiting as we talked.

Joyce
In the Mojave

Ron Collins on sat 13 jan 01


Thanks Joyce, after our earthquake today, I'm ready to think about something
else, so will think about how nice it would be for students to fire bowls in
the oven or fireplace...I am going to try this when we can get back up in
the mountains to get enough mica to do something with...Melinda