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| Unfired piece created yesterday and now drying |
The increase in fireclay (I am using Hawthorn Bond) does appear to have strengthened the batch, allowing easier working properties with the coiling technique. In the past, I have added 35 mesh fireclay to produce a bit of 'tooth' in throwing clays without the texture resultant from use of grog. In this case, it is present to increase the structural strength during handbuilding. I used an increase of 3%, which is considerable in an earthenware clay, normally a fairly gentle, light-working body. I may opt for 2% next time, with the other 1% going to ball clay for a slight increase in plasticity.
As for the color, the fire will tell; and for that I must wait until the piece has dried sufficiently! In the meantime, I will continue to experiment with this batch as I rather liked the working properties.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ευχες!!!!!! για μια ομορφη κυριακη
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So happy you like it, dear friend!! Wishing you also a beautiful Sunday and a wonderful new week!!!
DeleteVery beautiful and interesting to hear how you do it, even though I don't know the first thing about it. I can appreciate your talent and skill.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Brian! Designing clay bodies was something I began many years ago -- actually shortly after I learned to throw on the potter's wheel. There's a lot of engineering that goes into ceramics, as well as artistry, and I enjoy working on both fronts!
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