New Site! New Blog! And all about Claymonster Glazes.
It's been a long time coming. We've finally made the switch to a spiffy new website. With the world moving virtual I hope all our amazing monster fans are finding the site as helpful as we are.
Our new logo (above) is inspired by the often square or circular potter's 'chops' used throughout history as a stamp of authorship and pride in craftsmanship. This friendly little monster also represents the whimsy nature of our work. Its doesn't yet have a name. Do you have any suggestions?
For my first blog I'd love to share some information about our stoneware glazes.
This could prove to be a good reference page when you're sending an email with a request or you're looking at monsters for sale.
All of our stoneware glazes are made here in the studio except for one. They are weighed out according to tried and true recipes and they consist of powdered minerals, clays and colorant oxides. These are the glazes we use on the mid-fired stoneware pottery. This entry doesn't address anything to do with low-fire glazes (CMO's, pumpkins, etc).
I thought this would be a good start to our blog for 2021 since glaze making is our first task of the year. Almost every bucket needs a good refill after the busy winter season we had. Its not the most exciting job in our studio but its an important one.
One important note, all of our glazes are food safe, microwave and dishwasher safe. We do not, would not and have never used any lead in a glaze. Lead is bad and hasn't been used in the U.S. ceramics industry for a long long time. Its so much more dangerous to us as potters than it is to you the customer so NO LEAD in any Claymonsters, I promise.
Twilight Blue
This is a pretty semiopaque pale blue with purple hues. Its a flawless glaze that works well when layered with other glazes.
Oscar Green
A clear jade green that works hard to show off texture. It looks great when layered with other glazes but can sometimes pinhole when it goes on too thick.
Celadon
Celadon is a beautiful semi-transclucent turquoise that works well on monsters and shows off texture and the specks from the clay body. It layers well with other glazes, particularly the Pinkiedoo to make the "Candy Stripe" pattern Cat loves.
Raspberry
This is a pretty almost red - almost purple glaze that can be a bit finicky if not mixed 'just so'. Its semi-opaque but still shows texture and looks wonderful when its applied really thick.
Pinkiedoo
This is a soft opaque white glaze that only turns pink when used with the Raspberry glaze. Its a solid flawless glaze that shows lots of specks from the clay body.
Seafoam
A reliable opaque pastel turquoise with an almost paint like quality. Looks pretty with any combination of our glaze palette.
Cream Rust
A warm toasty two tone glaze that is as close as we get to a matt glaze. Where its really thin its a dark iron rust brown and if applied thick it's an almond cream color. It shines when used in combination with additional glazes like Seafoam or Celadon.
AKD... or All kinda dark.
Much to my frustration this glaze does not photograph well but in person its a deep warm brown/black. Imagine looking deep into a glass of Guinness... It absorbs other glazes so we apply it thick and leave it alone.
We have 4 other glazes that we don't use a lot but sometimes people ask for them.
