Set of Tea Bowls - Peaceful Meadow

Although we have several glaze combinations that work well together, I am not done testing glazes.  I want to push the glazes that I know work well together to make my pots even more interesting.  I am experimenting with texture and ways to define space on a pot.  And, I am still searching for that elusive brown.  So I continue try new glazes on test pots.

Here are some things I’ve realized through glaze tests:

Tea Bowl - foot ring

• I don’t like breaking glazes on rims because of the resulting tactile quality
• I like to blur the transitions between glazes
• A pop of red is more powerful than a large wash of red
• I notice colors used in advertisements and fabrics and try to translate some of those into glazes
• Texture makes color more interesting
• Pairing glazes with different light reflective qualities (glossy/satin/matte) can enhance color
• Taking notes is invaluable – telling myself I will remember is a lie
• Establish a central place for all notes to go – I throw them in a notebook
• Keep the pots with great glaze applications visible for inspiration
• A self critique is necessary to get more useful information
• A critique from some one else can help get a different perspective and new ideas to try
• Using the pot can change my opinion of the glazes