I am often asked for technical information about my work. I use a porcelain clay body that is designed especially for it’s vertical ability while throwing. It is very plastic due to the apple cider vinegar in the formula. If you choose to use this clay body you will find it fairly easy to throw. It has it’s fussy qualities, like cracking handles if you don’t cover the pots with plastic while drying.
I slip cast various forms and I have included that formula as well.
Many of my pots are carved. I use a variety of very small Dolan trim tools for this process and do all of the patterns by hand.
The stains I use are applied to bone dry pots. They can be applied with a spray gun, foam brush, or a natural fiber brush.The temperature range for this stain formula is very broad depending on what kind of atmosphere you choose. They work at cone 04 to cone 11. I have used them in wood, salt and soda kilns as well as gas, oxidation and reduction. Many colors burn out at high temperatures, and reduction muddies the color. I fire my gas kiln in a neutral atmosphere to cone 10.
Finally I have included a clear glaze that works beautifully in a neutral gas atmosphere. These formulas are a jumping off point and I hope you will experiment with them in the kind of kiln you use. They are all designed for cone 10.