A few Bellota pots

Storm wrote:Very nice work!
Cant understand why I missed out on this post!

Thanks Storm, I appreciate the compliment very much.

Cheers,
Paul

jersanct wrote:Hello Paul - thank you for visiting us in St. Louis over the weekend, and best of luck at BSF. You produce stunning work, and I look forward to doing much more business with you in the future!

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thank you for the kind words.

My wife and I had a great time and it was a pleasure meeting you and all the other great people that came to your convention. I look forward to your next show in 2013.

Regards,
Paul

Russell Coker wrote:

Paul, am I seeing this correctly as a deep, red wine color? If so, it's not something you see often, and I really like it. Something blooming with white or yellow flowers would be wonderful, yellow fall color too. What does this glaze look like on a white-bodied porcelain pot?

R

Here are two porcelain pots fresh from the kiln that were finished with the plum chun glaze.





What do you think?

Regards,
Pal

Well, they're beautiful, but what happened to the plum color? I'm seeing cobalt blue, or is there something wrong with my monitor?????

Russell Coker wrote:Well, they're beautiful, but what happened to the plum color? I'm seeing cobalt blue, or is there something wrong with my monitor?????

Thanks for the compliment Russell.

No, there's nothing wrong with your monitor. Unfortunately, the plum color is not as dominate on these porcelain pots. It's still there it is just having problems competing with the blues. This is a new glaze and I'm not sure at this point why this occurred. I think more testing is in order.

Here is a photo of another pot that was in the same firing as the two porcelain pots. This one is a white stoneware clay body and is finished in the same glaze.



What do you think?

Regards,
Paul

Hi Paul,
this is a very nice blue.

Best wishes
Peter

I agree with Peter, it's a VERY NICE blue!! So plum chun turns blue on porcelain, worse things could happen...

I guess it's fascinating and exasperating all at the same time how these glazes work on different clays. So my next question is "Why don't the two blue pots look the same if it's the same glaze?" My guess is you'll say different areas of the kiln, but man those two pots look nothing alike! I'd hate to have to choose between the two of them. I don't know if you have another dark blue glaze for your porcelain pots, but this is a keeper!

peter krebs wrote:Hi Paul,
this is a very nice blue.

Best wishes
Peter

Thank you Peter, you feedback is always appreciated.

Regards.
Paul

Russell Coker wrote:I agree with Peter, it's a VERY NICE blue!! So plum chun turns blue on porcelain, worse things could happen...

I guess it's fascinating and exasperating all at the same time how these glazes work on different clays. So my next question is "Why don't the two blue pots look the same if it's the same glaze?" My guess is you'll say different areas of the kiln, but man those two pots look nothing alike! I'd hate to have to choose between the two of them. I don't know if you have another dark blue glaze for your porcelain pots, but this is a keeper!

Actually, I think I can account for the differences in the two porcelain pots Russell. I intentionally put them together on the same shelf in the kiln so that particular variable would be mitigated to some extent. I believe the difference is in the way the glaze was applied. The first pot was sprayed on the second pot was brushed on. Now the main question is can these outcomes be reproduced with any degree of consistence. As I said earlier, I think more testing is in order.

Your right on the money when you say "I guess it's fascinating and exasperating all at the same time how these glazes work on different clays." That's what makes the ceramic process fun.

Thanks for the great feedback.

Regards,
Paul

Here are a few more that came out of the same firing.







Any thoughts on how these pots are finished?

Thanks,
Paul

pjkatich wrote:

Russell Coker wrote:I agree with Peter, it's a VERY NICE blue!! So plum chun turns blue on porcelain, worse things could happen...

I guess it's fascinating and exasperating all at the same time how these glazes work on different clays. So my next question is "Why don't the two blue pots look the same if it's the same glaze?" My guess is you'll say different areas of the kiln, but man those two pots look nothing alike! I'd hate to have to choose between the two of them. I don't know if you have another dark blue glaze for your porcelain pots, but this is a keeper!

Actually, I think I can account for the differences in the two porcelain pots Russell. I intentionally put them together on the same shelf in the kiln so that particular variable would be mitigated to some extent. I believe the difference is in the way the glaze was applied. The first pot was sprayed on the second pot was brushed on. Now the main question is can these outcomes be reproduced with any degree of consistence. As I said earlier, I think more testing is in order.

Your right on the money when you say "I guess it's fascinating and exasperating all at the same time how these glazes work on different clays." That's what makes the ceramic process fun.

Thanks for the great feedback.

Regards,
Paul

Wow, I would NEVER guessed that the method of application would cause these pots to look so different. They remind me of Van Gogh's "Starry Night".

Paul, that middle pot is stunning. Also, if it is for sale, please PM me about it.

The secret is the different clay.
Glazes are not opaque, but they react with the different clay.
This is normal.
Best wishes
Peter

When you change that clay the glaze result changes also, that's why I limit my glaze bodies to 3, one white, one mid range stoneware and one grogged terracotta. The glaze testing is limitless and, well my math was crap but its alot of testing

Paul

Keep it up sir that middle pot is the dogs, it really is.

"Dogs" slang for Dogs Bo**ocks i.e. really good

All the best

Andy

jersanct wrote:Paul, that middle pot is stunning. Also, if it is for sale, please PM me about it.

Hi Chris,

I appreciate your feedback very much. I'm glad you find this pot attractive.

I PM'd you some information

Cheers,
Paul.

peter krebs wrote:The secret is the different clay.
Glazes are not opaque, but they react with the different clay.
This is normal.
Best wishes
Peter

Hello Peter,

I could not agree more. The underlying clay body plays a very active role in the outcome a finished pot.

I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.

Regards,
Paul

Stone Monkey wrote:When you change that clay the glaze result changes also, that's why I limit my glaze bodies to 3, one white, one mid range stoneware and one grogged terracotta. The glaze testing is limitless and, well my math was crap but its alot of testing

Paul

Keep it up sir that middle pot is the dogs, it really is.

"Dogs" slang for Dogs Bo**ocks i.e. really good

All the best

Andy

Thanks for the kind words mate.

It's not often that I receive such an interesting compliment.

Your right, testing can be a pain. However, I still enjoy nailing a new glaze so I keep plugging along.

Cheers,
Paul

So as Peter and Andy pointed out, the clay can really make a difference in how the finish on a pot will look.

Here is a photo of a recent glaze test that I think illustrates this very well.



From left to right: porcelain, gray stoneware, brown stoneware 1, brown stoneware 2

All four of these tiles were finished with the same glaze and all fired in the same kiln load.

The differences are due to the underlying clay body.

Regards,
Paul

(Catching up a bit here ...)

I do like that plum chun in all its variations. I, of course, am a mere trifler, but I did have the opportunity to do a little work with glazes in a "line blend" test and some other work a few years back. What I got out of it was that tinkering with glazes could probably be a life's work in itself. Especially in the high-fired stuff there seems to be all sorts of mysteries and surprises when one opens the kiln. Some glazes are quite opaque, some are not, but even the opaque stuff I've seen do various speckles and the like, varying on different clays, probably from iron/manganese/copper/eye-of-newt in the clay body. It's sort of a whole new world to explore if one has the time and facilities.

Keep it up!

DaveT

Here are a few new oval pots for your consideration.









Enjoy,
Paul

Hey Paul, Love that greenish one. Are there cracks in the glaze? I love that effect. Hope you make it to Mobile in the spring. My wife doesn't..... ; )
Lawrence

lawrence leclaire wrote:Hey Paul, Love that greenish one. Are there cracks in the glaze? I love that effect. Hope you make it to Mobile in the spring. My wife doesn't..... ; )
Lawrence

Hello Lawrence,

Thanks for the compliment.

In regards to the green pot, the cracks are in the clay not the glaze. This pot is finished with an Oribe glaze which allows the underlying cracks to show through.

I hope to see you in Mobile in the spring.

Regards,
Paul

Paul, your work is great.
The green is amazing.

er

Erik Križovenský wrote:Paul, your work is great.
The green is amazing.

er

Hello Erik,

Thank you for taking the time to comment on my work.

A compliment like this means a great deal when it comes from a talented pot maker such as yourself.

Here are a couple more pots that are finished in the Oribe glaze.














Enjoy,
Paul

Hi Paul,
they are all masterpieces, these pots are very popular in Germany.

Best wishes
Peter