This is one of the first pieces of the new year. Happily, it's one of those pieces that just comes out right.
It's the glaze. In this close up you can see how one glaze is dry like a desert floor, while another one flows like chocolate sauce. Working with these kinds of surfaces and colors is one of the great pleasures of ceramics.
I make most of my glazes myself, mixing chemicals using recipes I've collected and developed over 30 years. Creating new surfaces and colors is an ongoing, essential part of my work in the studio. Here are some glimpses of the process, mixing, testing, and some final results.
Glazes are tricky and capricious. When you open the kiln and find a new piece with just the right balance of color and surface, it really does feel like a gift.
