This casserole was inspired by the "hotpot rice" I ate from the street cafes
in Hong Kong.  The rice is cooked in the pot over a gas flame along with some
meat and vegetables on top. The bit I enjoyed the most was the crispy bits of
rice stuck to the inside of the pot - the intense heat around the surface 
causing the rice to caramelise.
:::gallery
![Thrown casserole](/images/ceramics/2021/small-casserole-with-lid.jpg)
:::


Casserole

I threw this simple cup form at Exeter College as part of my first pottery
evening class. When leather-hard I flicked a cobalt slip with a small paintbrush.

I have been experimenting with creating a similar slip using the Robin Hopper
base slip recipe (see [[glaze/slip-Co]]).
:::gallery
![Cup with cobalt slip](/images/ceramics/2021/cobalt-slip-cup.jpeg)
![Cup and small bowl with cobalt slip](/images/ceramics/2021/cobalt-slip-cups-together.jpeg)
:::


Cup with cobalt slip

Learning to throw on the pottery wheel, one of the simplest shapes to make is
the cylinder. With some slight forming and turning, this can make a very
serviceable cup, a good shape for testing glazes too. This page collects a few
examples of cups that I have thrown and glazed in 2021.

:::gallery
![Sophia Hughes](/images/ceramics/2021/sophia-hughes-cup.jpeg)
![Black Slip](/images/ceramics/2021/black-slip-cup.jpeg)
![Amaco River Rock and Blue Rutile](/images/ceramics/2021/amaco-cup.jpeg)
:::

### Glazes 
1. [[glaze/sophia-hughes]] and [[glaze/hansen20x5Sn7]]
2. [[glaze/hansen20x5]] over [[glaze/slip-black]]
3. [[glaze/amaco-river-rock]] outside, [[glaze/amaco-blue-rutile]] inside


Cup forms

Textured fruit bowl. Made from a hand-rolled slab over a large hump mold
(ca. Ø300mm). I attached a foot-ring while still on the mold and trimmed in
place. Once leather-hard I carved back a repeating pattern on the outside
using a somewhat blunt trimming tool and hand-carving. I like the way the 
grog in this clay lifts in the exposed surface.

:::gallery
![Hump mold bowl](/images/ceramics/2021/textured-rutile-bowl.jpeg)
![Inside bowl](/images/ceramics/2021/fruit-bowl-inside.jpeg)
![Bottom view](/images/ceramics/2021/fruit-bowl-bottom.jpeg)
:::

 Covered inside and out with 3 coats of [[glaze/amaco-blue-rutile]]


Fruit Bowl

A sculpture of a hare's head, approx H200mm. I sculpted the head from a solid
block of clay, and then hollowed out once the clay had stiffened up.
While this technique worked for a small piece like this, it would probably be
very difficult for a larger object. An armature would likely have been a better
approach. 

:::gallery
![Hare's head](/images/ceramics/2021/hares-head.jpeg)
:::


Sculpture of a hare's head

First attempts at throwing a set of mugs. These were glazed with a transparent
liner glaze and [[glaze/basic-chun]] on the outside. Thrown and glazed at Exeter College
using provided materials, I do not know the recipe for the outer glaze.

:::gallery
![Four mugs](/images/ceramics/2021/four-mugs.jpeg)
![Two mugs](/images/ceramics/2021/mug-pair.jpeg)
::: 


Mugs

A set of three small "nibbles" bowls. Thrown and turned on the wheel.
:::gallery
![Bowl collection](/images/ceramics/2021/nest-of-bowls.jpeg)
![Bowl](/images/ceramics/2021/nest-bowl-1.jpeg)
![Bowl](/images/ceramics/2021/nest-bowl-2.jpeg)
![Bowl](/images/ceramics/2021/nest-bowl-3.jpeg)
:::


Nest of bowls

This was one of the first vessels I ever threw successfully on the potters wheel.

Coated inside and out with three coats of Amaco River Rock. This has been my 
most successful efforts with the River Rock glaze. On the Earthstone E/S5 clay
that I normally throw with it has a much more flat, orange effect. Here it 
has a lot of interest, breaking into blacks and browns.

:::gallery
![Amaco River Rock, 3 coats over buff clay. Matt and varied on the outside of a bowl.](/images/ceramics/2021/river-rock-buff-side.jpeg)
![Amaco River Rock, 3 coats over buff clay. Glossy on the inside of a bowl.](/images/ceramics/2021/river-rock-bowl-inside.jpeg)
:::


First thrown bowl

I threw this bowl after watching [Hsin-Chuen Lin throw a Moon Jar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNAYJS3yxVM")
on YouTube. The texture is achieved by applying a coat of sodium silicate
to the clay when it is a straight cylinder on the wheel. Using a heat-gun
to dry the sodium silicate until tacky, I then stretched the cylinder from
the inside using a Mud Tools rubber rib into the bowl shape.
:::gallery
![Cracked surface bowl](/images/ceramics/2021/sodium-silicate-bowl.jpg)
![Drying to leather hard. The cracks in the surface are visible](/images/ceramics/2021/silicate-bowl-drying.jpeg)
:::


Sodium Silicate Bowl

This is one of the first pots I threw larger than a
cup. I left many of the turning lines on the finished
piece.

![Thrown plant pot](/images/ceramics/2021/tourmaline-bowl.jpeg)


Tourmaline Pot

Experiments with Selsor Chun and colouring with copper carbonate and rutile.

I carried out a triaxial blend of [[glaze/selsor-chun]] base, added rutile, 
and added copper carbonate. The full blend results are shown in the second
image below. I selected no. 0092 as the base for a larger batch and experimented
with using [[glaze/leach-satin-white]] as a liner and contrast to the glossy
mottled green.

This glaze is runny, but gives good variegated results on vertical surfaces.

:::gallery
![Green Bowl](/images/ceramics/2022/chun-green-bowls.jpeg)
![Triaxial blend test](/images/ceramics/2022/selsor-chun-triaxial-blend.jpeg)
![Simple jugs and mugs](/images/ceramics/2022/chun-green-jugs.jpeg)
![Lamp base](/images/ceramics/2022/chun-green-lamp.jpeg)
:::


Selsor Chun Green

A larger shape, thrown from 2kg of clay and intentionally left with
thicker walls. Thrown using groggy clay. Once leather hard, instead of
trimming I used a metal kidney to scrape the outside of the pot on the wheel,
using the grog to leave streaks and gouges in the clay to later pick up the
stain when glazing.

Glazed with [[glaze/leach-satin-white]] on the interior. The exterior is
unglazed. Instead I brushed on a thin wash solution of jet black stain, and
gently sponged back.

:::gallery
![Plant pot](/images/ceramics/2023/black-stain-plant-pot.jpg)
::: 


Black Stain Plant Pot

Gaining confidence in throwing larger forms. The jug was 1.4kg of reclaimed
flecked clay - a mixture of ES90 and ES109. The reclaim was pots that didn't
survive the wheel, or trimmings of other forms. Initially I kept all the 
different clay trimmings separate, but as I have been experimenting with 
so many different forms of flecked clay I gave up and threw them all in a 
bucket together. I'm happy with how this turned out even if I may never 
be able to recreate it!

The small cups were thrown from 225g of clay and not trimmed. When the clay
was still soft I just used my thumb to smooth over any burrs.

Glazed with [[glaze/folk-art-guild-white]] all over, and dipped again in
[[glaze/jp-chun-green]] around the rim. I was expecting the white to come 
out much creamier, I think here I applied very thin so the iron orange 
dominates. However I am happy with how they came out.

:::gallery
![Jug and cups](/images/ceramics/2023/rustic-jug-and-cups.jpg)
::: 


Rustic Jug and Cups

French produce representative in Tom, perhaps?

Popular team getting runs, one with special advantage

Piece of primitive art. hysterically coarse

Wrecked, replacement of odd tyres saving vehicle, finally

Times Quick Cryptic 1795

Criminal striking line of workers outside pit

Target area within terms of annual meeting

Miserable Hindu exhausted his devoted compatriot?

Exploit effective power such as child gradually loses

Presumably facing what lies behind film series?

Makes contact after battle, showing signs of commitment

English leaving liberal gratuities for musician

Wine we're stocking of comparatively recent vintage

Determined late series of games at Wimbledon?

Maybe she's supporting sister without love

Chieftain pursuing game reaches good strategic position

Made to retire, as disturbed informer might be?

Case of unspecific metal being moulded into symbolic pipe

Name of horse briefly sat on by male model

Item tightened by jockey needing high tension apparatus set up

Garfield's successor published an impressive author

Informed company worker reversed pipe plugs

Tiresome European leaves ground, carrying more water

Righteous man's best friend turned fifty on fourth of July

Put down weight, something we can learn by

Times Cryptic 28191

A thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action

Something that's often seen in a business setting

A young girl is very flexible and has a slim build.

A large seabird with a wingspan of up to 11 feet.

Boredom, lack of interest, or weariness resulting from too much routine

A printing technology that produces images by striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against a sheet of paper

A request for something to be done, or a set of items to be bought

OpenAI #1

Quick #1

Blue glaze with green variation. Breaks brown where thin (e.g. rims)


Amaco Blue Rutile

Brown/black glaze. Over Valentine VC9 buff stoneware gives a dark brown-black
breaking with interesting variation. Over Earthstone ES5 much more orange-brown.


Amaco River Rock

Blue-green brush on glaze.

Some variation in colour but not much breaking
on texture (see [[2021/tourmaline-pot]]).

Colours in the glaze separate over [[glaze/hansen20x5]],
see [[2021/casserole]]. 


Amaco Tourmaline

Unknown origin or composition. Provided by Exeter College.


Basic Chun

Based on the Folk Art Guild White recipe in John Britt's book "Mid-Range Glazes",
adapted to materials sourced from CTM Pottery Supplies.


Soda Feldspar

Spodumene

Flint

Kaolin

Dolomite

Gillespie Borate

Tin Oxide

Red Iron Oxide

Bentonite

Folk Art Guild White

Based on [Tony Hansen's 20x5 transparent glaze](https://digitalfire.com/recipe/g1214m), adapted to materials sourced from CTM Pottery Supplies.

material/ctm/potash-feldspar

Frit 3134

Wollastonite

Grolleg

Hansen 20x5

Based on [Tony Hansen's 20x5 transparent glaze](https://digitalfire.com/recipe/g1214m)
[[glaze/hansen20x5]] with 7% Tin Oxide addition for a white opaque.

This is probably too white for my taste, need to experiment with a lower
percentage addition of Tin.


Potash Feldspar

Tin White

Based on the Selsor Chun recipe in John Britt's book "Mid-Range Glazes",
coloured with Copper Carbonate and Rutile.


Whiting

Zinc Oxide

Rutile

Copper Carbonate

JP Chun Green

Based on the Leach Satin recipe in John Britt's book "Mid-Range Glazes",
adapted to materials sourced from CTM Pottery Supplies.


Leach Satin White

Based on the Petras Floating Blue recipe glazy.org,
adapted to materials sourced from CTM Pottery Supplies.


Nepheline Syenite

Talc

Cobalt Oxide

Petras Floating Blue

Based on the Selsor Chun recipe in John Britt's book "Mid-Range Glazes",
adapted to materials sourced from CTM Pottery Supplies.


Selsor Chun

This is the [[glaze/slip-robin-hopper]] with 2% Cobalt Oxide.
Mixed to approximately 110% hydration, i.e. for 500g slip, add 550g water.


Ball Clay

Cobalt Oxide Slip

CTM Black Slip

This is a well known slip with wide firing range (∆04-12). Fires white, it can
be used with oxides and stains to create coloured slips.

I normally make this up to 110% hydration, i.e. for 500g raw materials, add 550g water.


Robin Hopper Slip

A turquoise blue matt glaze. Over a light clay such as Earthstone ES5 can give
an almost tidal, beach effect when layered.

Settles out very heavily when stored, requires a lot of scraping to re-suspend.

**Contains Toxic Materials** do not use on functional surfaces


Barium Carbonate

Sophia Hughes

Based on the Spearmint recipe in John Britt's book "Mid-Range Glazes",
adapted to materials sourced from CTM Pottery Supplies.


Spearmint

Blue-gray matt-to-satin glaze. Breaks brown over edges and texture.


Terracolor Granite

This is a _very_ thin wash.  Mix a teaspoon of each
material (approx 5g) with 100ml of water.  I apply with 
a brush directly to textured bisque-ware, and then rub 
back with a damp sponge to leave the wash in the texture.
Touching the loaded brush to the surface near to 
texture lines in the clay can have the effect of drawing 
the oxide into the lines and flowing along them, highlighting 
the texture while leaving the rest of the surface free from oxide.


Glaze
Clay