Bonnie Staffel on wed 7 may 03
Dear Clayarters,
I have always been interested in Woods work with lusters, thinking that she
created them herself. When I look at studio photographs, I also look
intently at the surroundings, trying not to be dazzled too much by the
celebrity status of the ingenious potters. One picture of Beato in her
studio showed rows of luster bottles in the background. Aha! I said to
myself. So I pursued that avenue of experimentation. I also smoked the
pots after firing the commercial lusters on just the terra sig bisque ware.
Loved the effect although I would not call that work reduced. The luster
was there, but it was not garishly shiny.
Fifty years ago I was experimenting with reduction in my electric kiln and
used the ill fated moth balls. My kiln was in my home so I would pop a ball
into the peep hole and then run outside for fresh air. I did achieve
beautiful copper reds but found that the flash also damaged the glaze if not
applied the right way as it opened the crackle. Sometimes I would get a
copper luster. I also purchased the Reduction Production kiln in the 70's
that had the drawer beneath the kiln for combustibles such as charcoal
briquettes. Had a great exhaust system in that studio. That kiln had the
heavy coils wound about 1" in diameter. Produced my copper reds in that
kiln until the dials and whistles failed. A few years ago I again tried to
reduce in an electric kiln at Ed Gray's studio where he had placed the kiln
outside. It was on rollers. I wrapped paraffin slivers in foil, placed a
flower pot behind the peep hole to minimize the flash and was able to reduce
in that kiln also.
I wish someone would make a kiln similar to the ones made in
England/Denmark. Their elements are heavy duty, wound 1" diameter, lock
sealed door with an small exhaust hole in the top. Also under the floor
were 1-1/2" dia. tunnels with pinhole exits into the chamber for the smoke
to enter and affect the copper glazes. I used taper candles, plugged the
tunnels as well as the hole at the top, there was very little if no smoke in
the room. When I opened that kiln, every pot had the copper red. I think
that the kiln's name was Cromarti. The potters there also insert wood into
the tunnels to achieve reduction. Not much fuel is needed for this
operation.
Thanks for listening. Regards, Bonnie Staffel, Charlevoix, MI
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