Lili Krakowski on wed 5 may 04
I was just blown away by Snail! (Again and once more) Here she is =
-that giving, generous, knowledgeable, widely-informed and concise =
donor of recondite, difficult, obscure info-the one who is bound to have =
and share the most extraordinary information ("You want to re-glue a =
broken antique porcelain Pieta that you cannot remove from the church =
steeple and cast it in silver. Ok. First, you get the following type =
ladders.." who defends, repeat DEFENDS, a "teacher" who will not =
share her glaze recipes with a student...
I lack Snail's kindness. In my opinion, unless the potter involved =
makes his or her living off that very unusual glaze or glaze process, =
there is no excuse for not sharing. ALL glazes are known and the only =
innovations are through materials new to the pottery market, and/or new =
firing techniques, such as the digital controllers on kilns that can =
guide the heat up down and so on. What makes RonJohn's glazes unique =
is a particular approach, the extensive testing and so on. And along =
the way they give credit to those from whom they "got" the glazes.
There is something else to add though. You could get every glaze =
recipe in the world, and each would help you only so much.
You know from reading Clayart how often a potter cannot obtain a certain =
ingredient; or the latest batch of that ingredient is different; or the =
glaze came from an "older" source and while it says that it will fire to =
c.x it does not mature/matures too much because, as Arnold Howard has =
told us several times the official firing temp of some cones has been =
changed. And then the glaze will be modified by the clay or slip =
underneath..
So even if you had all those recipes you would have to test each =
one-and my everlasting recommendation is to test glazes on three bodies =
-even if you already have a "studio body," more so if you still are =
undecided what to use. Again, from reading Clayart, you will have =
learned that on some commercial bodies "all" glazes craze.. And =
then you test your recipes, and because the spar it called for is no =
longer to be had, or the clay you use in the glaze is different, (none =
of which can be helped as both spars and clays are NOT universally =
available, and their origins can disappear (housing project built over =
mine) you are stuck.
You really must read a few books on glaze. Some of my favorite not =
only are OP, they are sky-high in the used book markets. Libraries may =
have, may interloan. "Electric Kiln Pottery" and "The Potter's Book =
of Glaze Recipes" by Emmanuel Cooper are tops. And of course Robin =
Hopper's "The Ceramic Spectrum." Harry Fraser's two books-"Glazes for =
the Craft Potter" and "Ceramic Faults and Their Remedies" are =
affordable, and I think at least the first is still in print. Michael =
Bailey's book focuses on cone 6, but is "Glazes Cone 6" is super. I do =
not have the Chappell book so cannot refresh my memory but would trust =
those who recommended it. John Conrad revised his book not long ago, =
but I have not seen it-the first was fine, except that LIKE MANY OLDER =
BOOKS it includes recipes with materials we no longer allow in the =
studio. And Richard Behrens' excellent Ceramics Monthly Handbooks.=20
Michael Bailey's book focuses on cone 6, but "Glazes Cone 6" is =
super. RonJohn's book and Bailey's are a synergistic combo.
And of course a book such as Monona Rossol's on studio health and =
safety. No matter what, who, when, how YOU NEED.
Also "The Potter's Palette" by Constant and Ogden. This is of limited =
usefulness but wonderful for people who are not sure of what effects are =
obtained by what fluxes. =20
Unless you buy ready mixed glazes you will be in for a lot of testing. =
And the best preparation is to study up on it through books. Or try to =
find a glaze class.
At the risk of sounding like Forrest Gump: " A glaze is like a baby. =
When it's with it's Momma it is sweet and nice, and purdy. But take =
it away from Momma and it hollers, kicks, screams, pukes, and like that =
just to show you who's boss." The same with glazes. Unless you =
master the art of feeding, burping, cooing, diaper changing and such =
like, you are in for a big mess....
Lili Krakowski
tammy brown on wed 5 may 04
Thank you Lili
I appreciate that advice...I shall print that email
and go on a search. I know that nothing but experience
will establish that which I want to learn today!!!
Appreciatively
Tammy in Columbus
--- Lili Krakowski wrote:
> I was just blown away by Snail! (Again and once
> more) Here she is -that giving, generous,
> knowledgeable, widely-informed and concise donor of
> recondite, difficult, obscure info-the one who is
> bound to have and share the most extraordinary
> information ("You want to re-glue a broken antique
> porcelain Pieta that you cannot remove from the
> church steeple and cast it in silver. Ok. First,
> you get the following type ladders.." who defends,
> repeat DEFENDS, a "teacher" who will not share
> her glaze recipes with a student...
>
> I lack Snail's kindness. In my opinion, unless
> the potter involved makes his or her living off that
> very unusual glaze or glaze process, there is no
> excuse for not sharing. ALL glazes are known and
> the only innovations are through materials new to
> the pottery market, and/or new firing techniques,
> such as the digital controllers on kilns that can
> guide the heat up down and so on. What makes
> RonJohn's glazes unique is a particular approach,
> the extensive testing and so on. And along the way
> they give credit to those from whom they "got" the
> glazes.
>
> There is something else to add though. You could
> get every glaze recipe in the world, and each would
> help you only so much.
>
> You know from reading Clayart how often a potter
> cannot obtain a certain ingredient; or the latest
> batch of that ingredient is different; or the glaze
> came from an "older" source and while it says that
> it will fire to c.x it does not mature/matures too
> much because, as Arnold Howard has told us several
> times the official firing temp of some cones has
> been changed. And then the glaze will be modified
> by the clay or slip underneath..
>
> So even if you had all those recipes you would have
> to test each one-and my everlasting recommendation
> is to test glazes on three bodies -even if you
> already have a "studio body," more so if you still
> are undecided what to use. Again, from reading
> Clayart, you will have learned that on some
> commercial bodies "all" glazes craze.. And then
> you test your recipes, and because the spar it
> called for is no longer to be had, or the clay you
> use in the glaze is different, (none of which can be
> helped as both spars and clays are NOT universally
> available, and their origins can disappear (housing
> project built over mine) you are stuck.
>
> You really must read a few books on glaze. Some of
> my favorite not only are OP, they are sky-high in
> the used book markets. Libraries may have, may
> interloan. "Electric Kiln Pottery" and "The
> Potter's Book of Glaze Recipes" by Emmanuel Cooper
> are tops. And of course Robin Hopper's "The Ceramic
> Spectrum." Harry Fraser's two books-"Glazes for
> the Craft Potter" and "Ceramic Faults and Their
> Remedies" are affordable, and I think at least the
> first is still in print. Michael Bailey's book
> focuses on cone 6, but is "Glazes Cone 6" is
> super. I do not have the Chappell book so cannot
> refresh my memory but would trust those who
> recommended it. John Conrad revised his book not
> long ago, but I have not seen it-the first was fine,
> except that LIKE MANY OLDER BOOKS it includes
> recipes with materials we no longer allow in the
> studio. And Richard Behrens' excellent Ceramics
> Monthly Handbooks.
>
> Michael Bailey's book focuses on cone 6, but
> "Glazes Cone 6" is super. RonJohn's book and
> Bailey's are a synergistic combo.
>
> And of course a book such as Monona Rossol's on
> studio health and safety. No matter what, who, when,
> how YOU NEED.
>
> Also "The Potter's Palette" by Constant and Ogden.
> This is of limited usefulness but wonderful for
> people who are not sure of what effects are obtained
> by what fluxes.
>
> Unless you buy ready mixed glazes you will be in
> for a lot of testing. And the best preparation is to
> study up on it through books. Or try to find a
> glaze class.
>
> At the risk of sounding like Forrest Gump: " A
> glaze is like a baby. When it's with it's Momma
> it is sweet and nice, and purdy. But take it away
> from Momma and it hollers, kicks, screams, pukes,
> and like that just to show you who's boss." The
> same with glazes. Unless you master the art of
> feeding, burping, cooing, diaper changing and such
> like, you are in for a big mess....
>
>
>
> Lili Krakowski
>
>
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