Craig Martell on mon 6 may 02
Hi:
First, before I write about the process I use for applying the tenmoku I
should say something about forgetting to give the author of that glaze
credit in the article. I just plain didn't think about it. But, the Peach
Black Tenmoku was formulated by Ontario potter Harlan House. I've changed
it slightly by removing 2% zinc ox but it's the same other than that.
When I throw plates and bowls that will have tenmoku centers I incise a
line where the rim and centers meet. The line is about one eigth inch wide
and deep. When glazing, I pour maybe a cup or two of the glaze inside and
gently, slowly swirl the glaze around and outward until it goes into the
incised line and runs around the perimeter of the center. I try to use
just enough so I don't have to dump any glaze over the rim. If there's
extra glaze I need to remove, I set the piece on the table and take the
glaze off with a big sponge. I just set the sponge down gently and let it
soak up the glaze. I squeeze the extra thru a sieve and bucket thing I
have just for the purpose of reclaiming extra glaze. Not always necessary
but sometimes I get little sponge bits in the glaze and want to eliminate
them. Glazing the centers this way leaves a very clean line and the center
application is pretty round and symmetrical, if that's what one wants, and
you don't have to clean or wax the rim.
I let the glaze dry for a bit and then I spray the back and the rim with
whatever glazes I'm thinking will be good and the pieces are then kiln
ready. I don't do much waxing usually. My guns don't have a huge
overspray so I can overlap the glazes slightly without losing color or
character in the tenmoku. I use Paasche #62 spray guns.
Somtimes I'll glaze the backs of these pieces first and let that dry and
then spray and wax the rims and apply the tenmoku later. When I do this, I
just run a quarter inch wax line around the edge of the rim and totally wax
and area about 4 inches wide where I'll dump the glaze out. No sense in
waxing the whole rim for just that one operation.
I hope this is all pretty clear.
regards, Craig Martell in Oregon
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