The 100 Year Flood, Again

Coon Valley Park.

Actually this photo was taken last August, (the first 100 Year Flood), a day after everything had crested and the waters started to go down. If you have never seen the park you might think it doesn't look too bad but there are spots that are 10 feet deep, or more, out there.

This year's flood, 28 counties in Wisconsin declared Federal Disaster Areas.

One Big Mud Pie

They say that this flood wasn't as bad as the 100 year flood just 10 months earlier, but Bad is bad and the mud is everywhere. This is the basement of my studio. The mud still wasn't completely dried up and cleaned out from last year.

Well, I guess its time to shovel and build and buy new kilns and other stuff.

So, for those of you wondering why I haven't been posting lately, it was mainly do to the depression after the flood. And, with no kilns or ware to fire I just haven't had much to say or post.

Hopefully soon. Until that time I'll try to keep posting my raku glaze recipes.

Flood Mud

What more can I say. The mud was frickin' deep.

Raku Glaze Recipes

Raku Glaze Recipes.
Since its Friday I'll post three Raku Glaze Recipes.

Aqua Luster
Borax 80
Whiting 8
Ball Clay 4
Zinc Oxide 4
Copper Carb. 3

Black Raku Glaze
Borax 3.22
Gerstley Borate 43.01
Soda Ash 21.51
Nepheline Sy. 10.75
Barnard Clay 21.51

Black Copper Luster
Frit 3134 75%
Nepheline Sy. 25%
Add:
Black Copper Ox.15%
Black Iron Ox. 15%

Raku Glaze Recipe Of The Day

Transluscent Jade
Gerstley Borate 80%
Nepheline Sy. 20%
Add:
Cobalt Carb. 0.50%
Chrome Ox. 1.0%

This glaze is just Soldner' Clear Raku Glaze with the addition of the colorants. It is a glossy deep green transluscent glaze. Pots placed in a post reduction can will produce nice subtle accents in the smoke filled cracks.

Alligator Raku Glaze Recipe

Alligator Raku Glaze

Gerstley Borate 8 cups
Bone Ash 2 cups
Copper Carb. 1/2 cup
Cobalt Oxide 1/4 cup

Trompe l'oeil

Anyone for dice? In my blog profile I said I like making anything in clay from coffee mugs to trompe l'oeil. These dice were made from scraps of a low-fire white talc clay body.

I had no intentions of creating an exact replica of dice. I could have, but didn't feel like wasting the time. I was just being playful and knew that regardless of the end result, the dice would still say "look at me" and "pick me up."

Rainbow Luster Raku Ash Glaze

Raku Recipe Of The Day is.....

Rainbow Luster Ash Glaze
Gerstley Borate 40%
Nepheline Sy. 10%
Wood Ash 50%
Add: Copper Carb. 10%

Barrel Fired Pottery

Another successful barrel firing. I think this is my fourth firing and I've had really good results each firing. This vase is approximately 13 inches tall and approx. 5 inches at the base.

The colors come from copper carbonate and WalMart brand MiracleGrow (plant food). The black markings are where the pot was laid into the bed of sawdust and of course the patterns of the colors are a result of the swirling flames inside the barrel.

This vase was burnished in its leather-hard state, bisque fired and then barrel fired. Once the vase was pulled from the ashes I wiped it clean and then buffed it up with a little bit of paste wax.

May's Barrel Firing

Not much left in the barrel but my pots and a two-inch layer of ash. I pulled these pots out of the barrel at eight in the morning, and they were still HOT. I started the fire at 2:00pm the day before. I only had 4 pots to fire this time around.

Next step is to wipe off all the ash and dirt of the pots and then apply a light coat of paste wax, which is buffed and polished to a high sheen.

Oh! Don't want to forget the raku recipe of the day. Today's winner is:

Crimson Raku Glaze.

Gerstley Borate 80, Nepheline Sy. 20, Kaolin 5, Zircopax 10, and Crimson Stain 15%. I got this recipe from Augusta State's web site.

Raku Glaze Recipes

Since I didn't post a raku glaze recipe yesterday, I've decided to post two today.

Reynolds Wrap Raku Glaze
Gerstley Borate 63%
Custer Feldspar 12%
Silica 12%
Ball Clay 6%
Barium Carb. 6%
Copper Carb. 12%

This raku glaze produces blues and dark greens with copper red flashings. If heavily reduced in both kiln and post firing this glaze could be called "polished copper."

Hawaiian Blue Raku Glaze
Gerstley Borate 80%
Bone Ash 20%
Add:
Copper Carb. 5%
Cobalt Ox. 5%
Tin Ox. 3%

This raku glaze is a nice glossy deep, rich, cobalt blue--A Brilliant cobalt blue.

I fired up my raku kiln yesterday. Wanted to try rakuing a big terra cotta pot I had. I also fired a couple tea bowls to fill the kiln. The terra cotta pot cracked right in half as I was removing it from the kiln. I think terra cotta might have a lot of potential. I glazed it with Soldners clear raku glaze. The tea bowls came out just fine. Tomorrow, or the next day, I'll post some photos of my last barrel firing. Stay tuned.