The World of Glazes

New book purchased today. White in the center is from the glare of the iPhone. Several have recommended it. Hope it's good! Couldn't find it cheaper than $40. Have you read it?

So much to learn about glazes...

This is a contraption that Adrienne Dellinger showed me at Clayworks, in Charlotte where I used to make pottery. How I miss that place and people! Yet, I don't miss it enough to return to Charlotte. I'm quite happy in Southern Pines. Anyway, it's a simple plastic container with a pipe put into it... and silicone, I think to seal around the plastic pipe. The glaze/clay water is poured into the container, yet not down the pipe and the sediment and all settles in the plastic container, with the water rising to the top. When the container fills up, it'll eventually drain. I plan to make this and put it in my sink along with a gleco trap installed in the pipes under the sink. Google gleco trap if you have no clue what it is. I didn't until yesterday, thanks to Adrienne's teaching.

Am in Asheville, NC as I write. Almost didn't come, but quickly figured out that if I don't get glaze ingredients now, it'll be quite awhile before I do so. And, well- I needed a break from work, so here I am.

As usual, it's simply wonderful to be here. I passed through Charlotte on my way here and it was fun to talk with Adrienne a bit about the pottery world. She's so wise and generous. Not sure how I'd get through this studio creation without her insight and support.

Have decided to start off with five glazes. Found four from Clayworks that I liked and got recipes for them. Found another today.

So, today, I spent a long while at Highwater Clay in Asheville. The staff there was so incredibly helpful. Bought the dry glaze ingredients for 5 glazes.... one out of this new book pictured above.

Never thought I'd be using my chemistry knowledge again. Chemistry was my least favorite class in high school; at least I'm figuring out how to use the little I learned in it.

So, little by little I'm figuring this glaze stuff out. This book will be my fun, fun leisure reading! Still need to purchase a triple beam scale.

As I write, my car has 150 lbs or so of glaze ingredients! So much to learn...

On another note, it's supposed to snow or flurry here tonight, which I love. Winter is only winter for me if there is snow sometime. I've waited awhile for snow this season.

Tomorrow it's back home. Am thankful that Starworks pottery is close by (1/2 hour away), so I can go there if needed.

Oh, and I traveled there for the first time last weekend and brought home 500 lbs of clay! 250 lbs. of star white (star works NC kind) and 250 lbs. of high water's brownstone clay.

Will make the ben garden, clear, bluegrass, and maybe hare's fur blue from the pic above of the test tiles taken at clayworks.... hard to remember as I don't have my recipes with me. Long day!

Any glaze making advice? (Will definitely make small amounts and use test tiles before I mix big 5 gallon buckets).