Glaze Chemistry Workshop

Class will be led by Joe Blair and will take place in the Dining Hall at Mount Sequoyah Center.

25% ($10 off) discounts for current Mount Sequoyah studio members.

This workshop will provide a holistic approach to glaze chemistry, theory, and development. The focus is to help demystify the many different aspects of glaze practice, such as the principles of glaze, the materials used, methods of application and firing. The aim of the workshop is to be accessible, informative and to instill confidence. It is suited to anyone who would like to develop their general understanding of glazes and will start with the basics and build upwards to ensure a solid foundation and grounding is fully established.

The first part of the workshop will be an introductory talk about the fundamentals of glaze and the properties of the raw materials. The next two sections, you will learn how to read and calculate a glaze recipe. This will be followed by how to test and develop your glazes using a variety of methods such as line blends and bi-axial blends. As part of this process, you will learn how to record and analyze your results which will enable you to repeat and use the most successful glazes on your work in the future.

Throughout the workshop there will be opportunities to reflect on test tiles to help you understand the specific attributes and effects of the individual material components that constitute the overall glaze. You will experiment with coloring pigments such as oxides and stains, to explore how color in glaze can be achieved and developed. By the end of the course, you will have a broad knowledge of glaze test results which can be used as a valuable resource and reference as your creative practice evolves.

Key skills/content covered on this workshop:

Understanding glaze – what is a glaze?

Glaze materials – key properties

How to read a glaze recipe

Preparing a glaze

Glaze testing and development

Application methods i.e.: dip/pour techniques

Firing principles and temperature points

Common glaze faults

Host or Publisher Mount Sequoyah Center