September 2020
I'm hand-building with terracotta clay and really enjoying it! I'm doing a lot of glaze tests (and that involves frustration to be honest) and opening myself up to the complications that come with it. I have decided to embrace the chemistry of glaze formulation rather than wish it away, because I'm not comfortable with using commercial glazes alone.And I feel somewhat at ease with the many recipes and guidelines I picked up from a Glaze Calc class I took at BYU years ago. I am having a few successes mixed in with the disappointments.
I'll update soon with the process of glaze development, because it is indeed fascinating! I have a workspace stocked with Boric Acid, Nepheline Syenite, Silica, Ball Clay, Mason Stains, Oxide colorants, Cryolite, Rutile, Magnesium and Lithium Carbonates...and the list goes on! Glaze development is Chemistry y'all mixed in with MAGIC! Check out some of the works in progress: