We seem to have done plenty of preparation for shows. There was the 'work in progress' in the PR1 gallery that did not happen. There was UCLan Talent, on line, that fizzled out. We have been writing Blogs (like this one) available for assessment. We have been asked to input into a 'virtual ' MA show, a personal webspace accessed through scanning a QR code and to produce a poster. Now we are to have the REAL THING - a physical show - with a formal opening by Halima Cassel and an external assessor. The catch is that there will be over 100 of us over 3 sites, each with a relatively small space.. This means that my plan to physically show a range of my work may not be carried through. I will have to get some really good photos and go online.
Meanwhile there is a water feature to construct. I have the wood, the pump, even the pond liner but need to find the time to make it and of course, finish off the final pieces. No pieces no pictures.
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We decided I should make a series of large tiles, like fabric swatches, to demonstrate the colour range along side the water feature in my final MA show. There was an option to carve 16 or more individual tiles from 15cm sq rolled blocks. That sounded challenging as I am used to carving around a convex surface, not a flat one. In the end I carved several tiles, chose the best, and made a plaster press mould . The design shows the effect of both carving and dotting, two in one. This picture shows the 'first one out' -rather rough but demonstrating good potential. Another skill!
Here are the results of what I hope will be the final glaze tests of this MA.! I dont intend to use every colour on every composite piece, but anyone will be free to. Instead I am likely to group them thus All but the dark green, the dark blue and maybe the teal will have a darker colour in the grooves /dots to emphasise the pattern. The results of testing copper containing glazes (one thin layer brushed on and sponged off) then the glaze colours on top, fired to 1260C were good, but the corresponding tests using the dark blue (cobalt, manganese and tin) glaze were disappointing. Here is an example using glaze 30; it contains CTM stain no.1, rutile, tin and lithium. The glaze test furthest right (in both sets, above and below) is over a dark blue. Glaze 4/17 contains chrome 0.2, 30 contains 5 of tin, so I was surprised not to see a colour change, but although there is no hint of pink or brown, its not a successful glaze combination. Glaze 4a has copper and just a small amount of cobalt carbonate; 20 is 17 with three times as much copper. The problem observed in the two test tiles on the right could of course be caused by the tin oxide content. However this set of teal (6/3) does not show a problem over 6/31a which also contains tin; though none of them show a significant difference to the 6/3 (second from right) by itself.
The base glazes containing copper all appear to work well, so I will not be pursuing cobalt as an alternative. |
AuthorI am indulging my passion for ceramics by undertaking studies for an MA at UCLAN Archives
August 2021
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