Pots series 15 - Double Blob (hourglass)

I've been trying out a new shape: the double blob. I've made the constriction in the middle before pushing out the round parts. I also experimented a bit with the glazing: rainbow for a set and reactive black and white for another.

Before firing: underglazes applied with a brush,
overlapping at the intersections to make a gradient of colours,
then a coat of transparent

After firing, the colours are even sharper

Inside: 1x shiny white, then 1x matt black
Outside: 1x Lucie Rie white, then 1x matt black

I love how the glazes reacted together,
it's quite soft and unpredictable

Pots series 14 - Let's get crackling !

This week I've tried to use the crackle glaze. I initially got disappointed with the result as the crackling is not visible (it does not have any contrast) coming out of the kiln... That's because the cracks need to be subsequently filled with black ink, revealing all those fine crack lines! I love it, and I look forward to trying it again! 

2 x crackle glaze, thick band of black iron on the rim

2 x crackle glaze, thick band of black iron on the rim

I also did another trio of brushed oxide.

1x shiny white, wide brush of spotted green, thin brush of cobalt

Pots series 13 - A brush of oxide

For this series of small pots, I used a simple design: white background, brushed with pure oxides. I used cobalt for a solid blue and black iron for a rusty effect. I used a wide, synthetic rigid brush and applied a tiny amount of oxide on. For comparaison, I previously brushed a shiny black glaze on the same white glaze;  the colour is much more intense and deep using the pure oxide.
I also tried out an underglaze pencil (followed by a coat of transparent glaze).

Front, left: black iron / Back, left: cobalt / right: shiny black glaze

Underglaze black pencil

Pots series 12 - des p'tits trous...

My three last pots are a bit bigger than what I'm confortable with, and their shapes are not so refined.

I carved many gouges in one of them, and glazed it with light colours (blue slip, then 2 x transparent glaze with rutile). It is quite light weighted considering its size.

For the darker and heavier ones, 2 x T-Red inside and at the bottom half, 2 x Owen Blue on the top two thirds.

A week in Singapore

On our way back from Australia, we stayed a week in Singapore. We enjoyed the overlay of gardens and luxurious vegetation contrasting with the modern building towers, with ancient heavily decorated temples, and with new iconic architecture. A very successful mix!