Magic Memories

If ever there were a piece of art that showed the magic of reactive glazes in 24 hours, this handbuilt bowl would be it. As you swipe through the photos or watch the reel, you will see 3 completely different pics. None of them are filtered - instead, the photos show these layered reactive glazes (in this case 6 different colours interacting) at different times of the day. Evening by warm, soft light, daytime inside, and finally outside during the day. Sunshine views pretty much blow the mind, but is impossible to photograph on this piece as it's so glossy and reflective. Magic. 

The process of making it started with rolling out a slab of stoneware clay, draping it over a handmade plaster mould, and then, once firm enough to hold a "starting shape", adding coils of clay until the required shape and height was reached. 

Next would be shaping, scraping and cutting of the clay to ensure the same thickness of walls throughout. When that differs in a big piece like this, the risk of a bowl breaking as it dries on a shelf is so much higher as it doesn't shrink at the same rate everywhere, creating cracks.

The final step at this stage is creating the texture on the underside of the bowl when the "leatherhard" stage is reached. This specific piece is made extra special as the memories of special moments are represented by the stones and piece of wood used for  it.

Once bone dry on a shelf (as much of the clay's moisture as possible evaporated naturally over some weeks), the first 24 hour kiln firing to 1000°C is done. 

After that, the bisque piece is ready for glazing. When layering reactive glazes, I prefer using brush-on glazing vs dipping. It does take a lot longer, but it gives me more control with drying between layers, location of and thickness of the different colours. As they interact when I fire them to 1220°C, this affects the running of, which one dominant, and final colour at the relevant places. You never know exactly how it will end up, but is pretty much how far I can influence it. Well, this, and crossing my fingers and toes and hoping for the best! 

From start to finish the actual design, build, glaze and firings took roughly 5 weeks. And that is pretty much it. Hope you love it as much as I do!