Reflection- ‘Successful’ Pieces
UNTITLED- June 2026- Oxidation
On this piece I used-
Copper Carb Wash, Copper Oxide wash on the exterior and Manganese Oxide wash on the inside.
I applied transparent glaze on the grogged layers
Lichen Crawling glaze I made on the exterior in areas and applied my own black engobe to create black lines to help frame the piece.
I loved the dark interior, could be thicker next time- I used Dan Kelly’s work as inspiration for this choice. I also loved how the lichen glazed turned out and the oxide washes. Overall it came out exactly as planned and I was super satisfied with the result. The transparent grogged areas are something I'd love to do again- It adds a great contrast to the other colours going on. The manganese intensifies the colour also and the black engobe acts an extension of the manganese.
FREE SOLO- June 2026- Oxidation
The name ‘Free Solo’ originates from the documentary series with Alex Honald. He free climbs Yosemite in the USA and this piece was compared to a rock face, and since my main source of inspiration derives from rock faces and texture, I thought the name was quite fitting, and it has a nice ring to it.
In this piece I used-
Manganese oxide wash in cracks
Black slip on the interior and transparent glaze
Test Tile 26- Made with Base Glaze C, 0.25% of Cobalt Carb and Vanadium Pentoxide 3%- (See the technical page for the glaze spreadsheet)
I also carved into the glaze after application to create small circles and lines to add depth and used a glaze pencil in areas too.
This piece in classed as a success for multiple reasons- I believe this became a real turning point within my practice. The hole in the middle was created with a kiln shelf and it provides an effective visual factor, pushing the two slabs together. The small details, the lines and carving, also add layers and depth. The glaze recipe worked well too and created a complimentary colour that works with the slip. The form is distinctive and simple. The ripped and then smooth edges contrast each other.
ELEPHANT ROCKS- July 2026- Reduction
‘Elephant Rocks’- Derived from a swimming location on the coast of Western Australia we experienced.
On this piece I used Craft Crank Clay- which is a very groggy, stoneware, iron rich clay
I also used-
Copper Carb wash in the cracks
White slip ‘splodged’ on
Black slip on one-side
Mono-printed with an Manganese ink I made
Transparent glaze with slate ash
Overall, I wasn’t sure on this piece when I saw it outside of the kiln. However, with time and after photographing professionally, I found it grew on me and quite enjoy the application of some the glazes and slips.
The white slip loosens up the piece, where as the black adds the order. The monoprint areas are visually discreet but noticeable. Then the slate ash glaze reacted really well and bubbled exactly as anticipated. I carried on the kiln shelf hole in the middle, as again it creates a harmony between a polished form and a rugged, ripped form.
UNTITLED- July 2026- Reduction
Here I used grey stoneware clay and also used-
Blue slip on the band around the piece
Black slip on background
White slip ‘splodged’ on and carved into
Copper Oxide wash in cracks
Black engobe applied with a stick in areas
Test Tile 9 on textured yellow-ish slab part- Base Glaze C with 0.5% cobalt carb and titanium 5%
White slip on inside
Transparent glaze in areas
Here I was really collating a lot of my recently learned skills or interests into one pot. Engraving with a knife and allowing the oxides to soak in, new glazes, heavy use of slip to block out original colour of clay and carving over slip to create surface detail.
Again, the reduction kiln really sucked out a lot of the colour and turned it rather brown, however, my ambition for this pot still remains and that was the surface detail I tried to capture, so in my eyes it remains a success.
