Oxides, glazes and forms.

Last week I concentrated on testing out glazes and oxides on my test pieces of clay with textured surfaces and also on my sgraffito samples.

My ambition is to bring out the texture of the surfaces I create on my forms by using oxides to create a worn and derelict effect on my pieces, much like the bricks of the cotton mills in the industrial revolution.

By firing this sgraffito sample (below) to 1240 the coloured slip, which I applied and in places scratched away, has transformed from chalky dull reds, blacks and oranges to vibrant burnt chimney like colours which I feel are very effective and reflect the industrial quality I want to achieve in my work.

I also feel these samples are very effective as I like the way the clear shiny glaze and the clear matt glaze bring out different colours and qualities from the coloured slip and the oxides.

When making my final chimney forms I plan to use both a clear matt glaze, a clear shiny glaze and just oxides and also to leave the sgraffito bare in places to create different surfaces, textures and colours across my forms.

Last week I also did sketches for my chimney forms and planned out the designs that are going to be on their surfaces. However after making a prototype of a chimney form I realised that I didn’t like how stocky and wide my designs had become so I have now changed my forms to cylinders as I like the way they tower up and more subtly hint towards the chimneys of the industrial revolution. I would really like to make these cylinders of varying sizes, some as tall as me, and would like to create a large group of them so they create an ominous and entrapping atmosphere much like the living conditions and the cotton mills in the industrial revolution. 

These collages below, that I created, portray the kind of textures and colours I want my chimney forms to have with the images in amongst all of these textures.

Here are some sketches I did for my chimney forms before I decided they should be more cylindrical.