Anita Harris Studio

I also like those first two glazes particularly they have turn of the century look (which century) its difficult to comment on new work like this as one needs to see how it develops

dantheman wrote: no! one buys a drum of glaze,it may be a mix of chemical,metal oxide...well loads of things, potters have experimented with various compounds for thousands of years

Hi Dan and everyone
Thanks for your comments
Some of the glazes are ready made some we had to make up i am not particuarily good at the chemistry of glazes but I am good at knowing how to combine them to achieve good glaze effects. Nonetheless, I am still amazed at the results next trials are to get a ruskin type look,cant wait !
I will send Dan more pics as soon as we get the next trials out .
If anyone on this site can make our Open day Nov 8th we would love to see you we have Henry Sandon and Eric knowles has just called me to say he his bringing a coach party of 40 i am so excited !
Anita

skay wrote:

Does it ever go off? How long can you keep a drum of glaze? Why can't someone buy the recipe? Can't it be copied?

:sm3: :sm3: :sm3:

xx

Hi Skay
Yes glaze does go off and often does also it can start to form crystals and calcium deposits depending on the ingredients used,sometimes they can be remixed and lawned (sieved) and reused they can also go mouldy if in powder form, even if kept dry and they are very expensive. The best way to prolong the shelf life is to mix and sieve them regularly if they are already slopped up, as they can also set like concrete!
Hope this is a little help to you.
Anita

dantheman wrote:not only fun but very relaxing and rewarding.
Go for it Carolyn,there's no time like the present.

Hi Carolyn
Yes go for it!
It all started as a hobby for me and I ended up as head of design at Poole for a number of years as designer at Cobridge and now have my own studio and as Dan says it is very rewarding and very theraputic I still get excited every time I open the kiln after 15yrs!
Also these days you can buy glazes off the shelf ready to use theyare very very good especialy for the hobbyist these glazes re not so good when you are producing in numbers as obviously speed of production and painting times has to play a major part of ceramics as a buisiness and many of these hobby glazes have large crystals in them to create an effect, great effects but are not realy suitable for large quantities of production but fantastic for your own use and selling in small numbers.
One of the best places to get started is Pottery crafts outlets but there are many more.
Anita

Thank you Anita, that does help, I didn't know anything about glaze.

I still have more questions though :sm3:

xx

skay wrote:

Thank you Anita, that does help, I didn't know anything about gla


I still have more questions though :sm3:

xx

Ask away i will try and answer but it may not be straight away and i may not know the answer!!

Its not much

I presume then different glazes are known to make different colours / effects, so its where you place them and how you arrange and mix them? Are you never certain what's happened until later?

xx

skay wrote:

Its not much

I presume then different glazes are known to make different colours / effects, so its where you place them and how you arrange and mix them? Are you never certain what's happened until later?

xx

Its all very complicated it depends on what goes into the glaze that gives the colour, also how thick you apply it on the pot,how you fire it in the kiln ,and at what temperature you fire to,whether you use gas or electric,the clay body it is applied too and so on. Copper in a glaze will make green, iron makes brown ,cobalt makes blue to name but a few. You can apply one glaze over another to create a different effect or colour and so on. If for instance you over fire cadmium red it will turn black and go very orange peely. Some glazes are soft therefore will run others are very stiff and stay in place ,
all of this depends on what goes into the glazes. Some glazes will blister then you can add quartz to help this and it all has to be measured and pint wieghted, and all this is just for starters!
Today though yo can buy ready made glazes from the hobby shop if you just want to do it as a hobby and not go into the chemistry of glazes!
Its experience of firing different glazes at different temperatures and placing in kilns that gets you to know how the different glazes work,for instance stoneware glazes are very high fired on a low fired body where as earthenware glazes are lower fired but the body is fired higher.
You can controll the firing pretty well and there are things you can use in the kiln such as bullers rings to tell you how the kiln is firing through out s you get to know your hot spots and cooler areas and place your pots accordingly smaller kilns have less ofn a spread in temperature.
Hope this helps a little
Anita

That's great Anita, thanks very much :ch3:

xx

For information, my last purchase at Poole Pottery before leaving UK. Susie

that looks like Velta? I have never seen that design,do you know the name Susie?
Anita is a member here so she could id it if you don't know

Sorry dont - just grabbed it and paid my money. S

dantheman wrote:that looks like Velta? I have never seen that design,do you know the name Susie?
Anita is a member here so she could id it if you don't know

Hi Dan and Susie
Yes it is the Velta design by Janice Tchalenko and myself designed around 96 I think. We produced it for s short time on the shape in photo in two sizes and on a couple of footed bowls. The brighter coloued designs such as volcano gemstones aurora etc sold much better so Velta was not produced for very long. Hope this helps
regards
Anita

Thanks Anita,I thought you might know

Thank you very much both of you for that! I must like the more muted colours. Have lots of blues made by many potters from all over the world. Susie