TESTING IN PROGRESS

Prompted by pure curiosity and after taking two glaze chemistry courses, I began teaching myself how to identify local ceramic materials (mostly rocks and minerals) spotted while out hiking or doing yard work at home. I have fired dozens of rocks in my kiln and am learning more with each test.

Below are four glazes I have developed using local rocks and minerals as glaze ingredients.

My goal is to discover the possibilities for the use of local glaze ingredients in my work, particularly rocks and minerals that are right next to my home. I select those that are so common that they are scattered on the ground, requiring no digging. Even better if they are considered yard waste or are donated to me.

I use the Glazy.org UMF calculator to input precise chemical composition information for each mineral/rock to develop a durable, food safe glaze recipe.

SKY ISLAND CLEAR GLAZE

Using scavenged basic glaze minerals and rocks—feldspar, quartz, and calcium carbonate found in local landscapes—I have developed a rock glaze made with 90% raw ceramic materials based on the classic 4321 Leach glaze recipe.

My version of this glaze is named after the distinct region of the globe and diverse elevations where the materials are found.

TREE GRANITE CLEAR GLAZE

An alternative clear glaze recipe that uses granite as the primary ingredient. The granite has been tested to obtain its precise chemical composition.

This glaze is named after the spot where I gathered this granite: clutched within the roots of a fallen tree, exposing pieces of the underlying plutonic bedrock.

CALICHE AVENTURINE GLAZE

An accident during firing that tipped this cup at an angle revealed horizontal layers of color that had not been apparent in previous versions including blue, amber, rust and dark chocolate at the bottom of this glazes’s drip line.

Now I want to (need to) try to recreate the circumstances that might safely replicate this effect.

Feel free to click the icon on the bottom right of the video to enlarge it.

RHYOLITE BASE GLAZE

A sweet, rock loving customer of mine graciously offered a piece of rhyolite from her property so that I could find out what kind of glaze this iconic desert rock might make.

This rhyolite has just enough iron oxide in its chemical composition to give it a subtle blush of tan color.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HIRING ME TO DEVELOP A GLAZE USING A MINERAL OR ROCK FROM YOUR PROPERTY?

Feel free to reach out to chat.