CCAa
About Me
I began making pottery in 1971 and immediately drove all my friends and relatives crazy. I have been fascinated with every aspect of pottery since. Over the years, I have explored every facet of clay, with the exception of hand building (which I am really not very good at). I hope you will enjoy my work..
About Crystalline Glaze
Crystalline glazes are different from all other pottery glazes, they are closer to glass than most pottery glazes. The "spots" that you see are actually crystals that are grown in the glaze during the firing. The glazes are quite high in fluxes to assist the molecules in migration into the crystal formation. Because of the high flux content, the glaze is quite fluid and flows off the pottery. In order to deal with this fluidity I make a "stilt" and catch tray for each piece. The "stilt" must match the diameter of the foot of the pottery and be flat with no gaps between the pottery and "stilt". The work is then fired to cone 10 (2345 degrees Fahrenheit. During the cooling faze of the firing, the kiln is held at certain temperatures during which the crystals "grow". When cool, the "stilt" and catch tray are removed. The foot of the pottery is then ground off with diamond grinding pads. Now the work is ready for you!
About Woodfire
My woodfired pottery sometimes has glaze on the pottery, sometimes there is no glaze. The firing leaves lots of wood ash on the pottery and carbon deposits as well. The path of the fire can be seen on the surface of the pottery, glazed or not. I am most fortunate to have a good friend that lets me put work in his wood kiln, If you want to see more woodfired work, his website is craborchardpottery.org. His work is really fantastic and well worth your time to visit his site.
