In one of my previous post I have promised to share with you continuing process of creating a teapot. The teapot was neaten and then bisque fired in electric kiln to 1000°C
So what is next? First we have to prepare the glaze...
For this I decided to take a risk and use untried-on natural ash glaze. We use ash glazes, but each ash is different and we have never try this ash combination before. Combination of meadow hay and wheat straw burned together... I got both from neighbor farmer who storage it for his horses. When he heard from me about using ashes for glazing he was so excited and curious to see the results that he has generously given me several bales of those materials. Hopefully he has enough for long winter and horses are not going to miss it.
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| The ash comes from this countryside....I hope that some magic of it will show up on my works. |
When we burn wood, plant, and weed - we basically release water and carbon. In ash then stay all minerals from which the plant was build. But our burning is not perfect. Also the hay as well as strew are not clean from soil, sand or another dirt and the careful sieving is necessary.
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| Ash...fascinating, isn't it? Gray leftover from burning and so many possibilities how to use it and so many possibilities how to think about it... |
During the washing of the ash we have to use much more water then will be needed in the "glaze". So it rests and settles during the night. In the morning it is ready to remove water from the top and check it out...
At the end we have around two liters of ash glaze - we needed around forty kilograms of hay and straw for it
Glazing by ash glaze is not the easiest one but I like the look and character of the material...
Our experiences say that this can be "running" glaze so tread the lid by wadding is necessary. Also wadding under teapot can protect it in case that ash will run down.
We fire the kiln with this teapot yesterday and as I am writing this post it slowly cold down. Are you curios how it will turn out? Then be sure - It makes two of us :)
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| We have again landed up part of the kiln by charcoal... |
Very exciting post Petr ! Very very interesting...We never imagine the work that is necessary to make a teapot...collect and burn straw and wood, clean the ash etc etc.
ReplyDeleteVery curious to see the result of all this...
Very informative post, a pleasure to read. I am very curious too !
ReplyDeleteThank you Lionel, thank you David. I am glad that you find it interesting - sequel is coming :)
ReplyDeleteHi Petr,
ReplyDeleteJust curious, what's in the ash glaze besides water and ash itself? There's gotta be some bounding material you add to it so that it sticks to the pot right?
Vladimir
Hi Vladimir,
ReplyDeletein this case it is only ash and water. There are all minerals you need for glaze. But you can of course mix more materials (usually feldspars, kaolin, clay, silica...) in to it and still it will be ash glaze. Each ash is different and it depends what do you looking for...
thank you for visiting it here
Petr