Week 13 Spring 2024

After NCECA I have a wealth of information to further research and incorporate into my work. I have been introduced to Andy Boswell's online video tutorials on cone 10 glazes that perform well in a range of conditions and tend to not run. He has a lot of information on glazes that he has tested and also how to test your own crystalline recipes which I will be exploring next week. I plan to use some of his recipes to test how a crystalline glaze will react in a down-fired reduction wood kiln environment next week. I will also be using some of his recipes to act as the surface decorations of bowls I will be selling in this semester's CCA bowl sale. As the president of CCA, I am excited to be able to be a part of this sale as the proceeds go to helping ceramics emphasis and intermediate and advanced students pay for their tickets to NCECA in the spring.

(photo of refined triangle vase)

I cleaned up some of the flat planes on the triangle jar and I am happy with how it makes the rigid hand-formed nature of the corners stand out in the piece. I cannot wait to see how the crystalline glaze reacts with this form as well as if it will achieve crystallization in the wood kiln!

These are some of the pieces and catchers that I plan to use as tests in the wood kiln.

I also had the pleasure of listening to David Donar speak about his experience with Cajun culture and how he emulates it in his artwork as well as his music. This was special for me because since I have moved from Louisiana it has been hard for me to connect with my Cajun culture outside of my family and contacting friends online from back home. I am excited to have this resource to reach out to in conversation with my art practice and how I plan to move forward with my expression of the Cajun culture.

Check back next week for the wood kiln firing!