June Perry on sat 25 feb 06
I've been following this whole thread and I must say that I have to agree
with John Britt that even if you give firing schedules you can't account for
every variable, i.e which spar to use, what ball clay or kaolin are you using,
what's in the water you're using, how high did you bisque, how thick/thin are
they applying the glaze, how will is react with their clay body, or in their
kiln, what red iron are you using, and on and on.
As far as sharing no one can argue that anyone has a right not to share if
that's their choice.
My friend, and glaze teacher Vivika Heino believed strongly in not holding
back information and I hold to that philosophy. I think her generosity also
stemmed from her deep confidence in her glaze knowledge and her work, so she
never felt she was losing something by giving away any information. Maybe
others do and maybe that's why the reluctance to share on some level, only they
know.
From a different, spiritual level, I believe that the universe fills the
void created when we share anything; but I know that's a different matter. I
only share that as part of where I'm coming from.
All of us who play with creating or tweeking/fixing glazes spend a lot of
time on it. Some have no restrictions on sharing and other do but it's not
based on how much time is spent on it.
On another related note, many of us who started in the 60's and 70's had to
rely on what little information on glazes we could get. My first glaze book
was a compiled booklet of Centennial Colleges glazes that Ron Roy Ron Roy put
and sold for about $3.00. I was so thrilled to have a book of recipes and
tested like crazy. I still have that booklet Ron. It's a wonderful nostalgia
memory for me.
At that time I had no idea about glaze chemistry; but playing with all those
recipes got me to extend my learning and I actually taught myself, with the
help of Rhodes book on Clay and Glazes, to learn basic glaze chemistry. Later
I took other courses but found that I already knew most of what was being
taught about basic glaze calculation.
And the sharing nature of this list from people like Tom Buck and too many
others to list, has increased my knowledge in all ceramic related areas.
I didn't hang around the cone 6 oxidation phase long and soon after moved to
the country and began digging a foundation for a gas kiln. At first I used
some glazes from Rhodes book, then later a few picked up at workshops.
But my point is that you have to start somewhere and you can't expect a
newbie to just dig right into the world of glaze chemistry. Buying a glaze
chemistry program won't do anything if someone doesn't have the elementary
knowledge of the language of glaze materials. Anyone who has sat down with someone
trying to use these programs without that knowledge knows what I'm speaking
about.
So, share a recipe if you are so inclined, and don't worry about whether it
will work or not work. Give as much information as you can and let the receive
r explore it for themselves. It might just give them the boost they need to
go further with their glaze education.
Let's get back to the early days of Clayart when sharing was done freely.
It never bothered me that Ron and John didn't want the recipes from their
new book posted. What did concern me at that time was what that caused. We
suddenly saw a drop in people sharing recipes. It suddenly became an almost taboo
thing and I think it greatly affected the list for quite a time.
So let's get back to the original energy of Clayart and at the same time
honor the wishes of people who don't want their recipes shared.
Warm regards,
June
Mert & Holly Kilpatrick on sun 26 feb 06
June Perry wrote:
> Let's get back to the early days of Clayart when sharing was done freely.
> It never bothered me that Ron and John didn't want the recipes from their
> new book posted. What did concern me at that time was what that caused.
> We suddenly saw a drop in people sharing recipes. It suddenly became an
> almost taboo thing and I think it greatly affected the list for quite a
time.
> So let's get back to the original energy of Clayart and at the same time
> honor the wishes of people who don't want their recipes shared.
June, your post was so well-expressed. For any who may not already know,
June has shared many glaze recipes on her website:
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/shambhalapottery/
I have a page of matt white cone6 glazes on my website,
http://www.stonecropstudio.com/potters/mattglazes.html
many gleaned from Clayart originally and it's fun to look at the names of
those who shared them: Greg Lamont, Bob Kavanaugh, Hal McWhinnie, Hank
(Murrow, maybe? Or some other Hank? I forget), John Post (some of my
favorite glazes!), Hamer and Hamer, Clay Times, Tony Hansen (the best!), Ron
Roy, Val Cushing, the Wettlaufers'... A copy of Wettlaufers' book from the
library was how I started making glazes, and I spent a few Sunday afternoons
at the library going through old CM's and copying out glaze recipes. Have I
tested glazes that didn't work out? Sure, most of them! Have I fired them
on some firing schedule other than the original one? Undoubtedly. And with
different materials -- who could find the same materials as a glaze written
in the 1970's -- even if they have the same name. Actually I use one of the
Mastering Cone 6 glazes but do not use the firing schedule recommended by
the authors for it. Of course I read and re-read all the theory I could
find too, even when I didn't (and still don't) understand it all. That's
all called the learning process.
Holly
East Bangor, PA
John Britt on sun 26 feb 06
June,
What a great post. I have to include it in my reply (hope that is ok) so
anyone who missed it can read it. Great history.
I tried to get June to be in my book because of all the great work she did
with shinos and posting recipes. Those were the good old days of free love
and sharing!
Anyway, I love the part about Ron selling you your first glaze book. But I
have to know --were they recipes or formulas. And did he include a firing
cycle?
Got to know,
We may have to make you a member emeritus of the Glaze Free Trade Society.
Would you consider it?
John Britt
Bakersville NC
I
On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 11:30:51 EST, June Perry
wrote:
>I've been following this whole thread and I must say that I have to agree
>with John Britt that even if you give firing schedules you can't account
for
>every variable, i.e which spar to use, what ball clay or kaolin are you
using,
>what's in the water you're using, how high did you bisque, how
thick/thin are
>they applying the glaze, how will is react with their clay body, or in
their
>kiln, what red iron are you using, and on and on.
>As far as sharing no one can argue that anyone has a right not to share
if
>that's their choice.
>My friend, and glaze teacher Vivika Heino believed strongly in not
holding
>back information and I hold to that philosophy. I think her generosity
also
>stemmed from her deep confidence in her glaze knowledge and her work, so
she
>never felt she was losing something by giving away any information. Maybe
>others do and maybe that's why the reluctance to share on some level,
only they
>know.
>From a different, spiritual level, I believe that the universe fills the
>void created when we share anything; but I know that's a different
matter. I
>only share that as part of where I'm coming from.
>All of us who play with creating or tweeking/fixing glazes spend a lot of
>time on it. Some have no restrictions on sharing and other do but it's
not
>based on how much time is spent on it.
>On another related note, many of us who started in the 60's and 70's had
to
>rely on what little information on glazes we could get. My first glaze
book
>was a compiled booklet of Centennial Colleges glazes that Ron Roy Ron
Roy put
>and sold for about $3.00. I was so thrilled to have a book of recipes and
>tested like crazy. I still have that booklet Ron. It's a wonderful
nostalgia
>memory for me.
>At that time I had no idea about glaze chemistry; but playing with all
those
>recipes got me to extend my learning and I actually taught myself, with
the
>help of Rhodes book on Clay and Glazes, to learn basic glaze chemistry.
Later
>I took other courses but found that I already knew most of what was being
>taught about basic glaze calculation.
>And the sharing nature of this list from people like Tom Buck and too
many
>others to list, has increased my knowledge in all ceramic related areas.
>I didn't hang around the cone 6 oxidation phase long and soon after
moved to
>the country and began digging a foundation for a gas kiln. At first I
used
>some glazes from Rhodes book, then later a few picked up at workshops.
>But my point is that you have to start somewhere and you can't expect a
>newbie to just dig right into the world of glaze chemistry. Buying a
glaze
>chemistry program won't do anything if someone doesn't have the elementary
>knowledge of the language of glaze materials. Anyone who has sat down
with someone
>trying to use these programs without that knowledge knows what I'm
speaking
>about.
>So, share a recipe if you are so inclined, and don't worry about whether
it
>will work or not work. Give as much information as you can and let the
receive
>r explore it for themselves. It might just give them the boost they need
to
>go further with their glaze education.
>Let's get back to the early days of Clayart when sharing was done freely.
>It never bothered me that Ron and John didn't want the recipes from their
>new book posted. What did concern me at that time was what that caused.
We
>suddenly saw a drop in people sharing recipes. It suddenly became an
almost taboo
>thing and I think it greatly affected the list for quite a time.
>So let's get back to the original energy of Clayart and at the same time
>honor the wishes of people who don't want their recipes shared.
>
>
>Warm regards,
>June
>
June Perry on sun 26 feb 06
Hi John,
I'm honored to be considered as a member of the Glaze Free Trade Society.
:-)
The glaze book I bought from Ron was just the Centennial College recipes
that he put together in a booklet. I don't believe they were his recipes; and
no, there was no analysis, just the recipes. There may be a couple of mentions
of glaze thickness; but that's about it. I haven't looked at it closely for
years.
This was also 30 or more years ago and it just a guess on my part, but I
don't think Ron was as much into glaze chemistry as he has been in recent years;
but he could certainly answer that one.
As I said, at the time, I was so thrilled to get that book because it had
some cone 6 recipes. Even though I was a rank beginner 34 years ago, I had
mixed my own glazes from day one -- never bought a pre-mixed glaze; but after
doing dumb things like trying to use pieces of charcoal to reduce in the
electric kiln, in the basement, without proper exhaust, I quickly realized that I
wasn't going to be happy until I got a gas kiln; and that started the family on
a whole other journey of a move to the country.
Thank God I have the most incredible husband who has always been so
supportive of my work. He's also cute as well as brilliant. :-)
Warmest regards,
June
PS: Jim, who's doing the electrical work on your new studio keeps telling me
how great it is. We have to meet one of these days neighbor. Come on over
and take a peek at my studio, and have some wine and cheese. My husband keeps a
very good cellar! :-)
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