Functional Stoneware by Peggy Ahlgren
COLORS
&
PATTERNS
To describe a piece of pottery one needs to
recognize two things: the color
of the glaze and the
PATTERN. Below are some examples
of the possibilities using various combinations of colors and
Patterns.
The glazes I have chosen to use are mostly a
variety of blues, grays and greens. I call the main glazes that I
use simply "light blue", "#2 Italian", "dark blue", "Betty's White" and
"teal." The patterns are "leaf", "iris" and "abstract." I use
a few other colors
as accents.
Light Blue-Iris
Light-Blue Abstract
"Light blue" is a light grey-blue glaze with a darker blue design. The dots on the flowers in the iris pattern are orangish.
"#2 Italian" is a shiny grayish/white glaze. The red iron oxide design breaks to greens and browns when fired. The dots on the flowers in the iris pattern are a cobalt blue. It was a favorite glaze of potter, Betty Woodman in Colorado who had a fondness for Italy.
Dark Blue-Iris
This glaze is "Dark Blue."
The iron oxide turns the patterns to greens and browns.
The dots on
the "iris" pattern are orangish.
Betty's White-Leaf
Betty's White-Abstract
"Betty's White" is another of Betty Woodman's glazes that I started using when I lived in Boulder, Colorado. It is a matte grey/white glaze. Yellow ochre, a form of iron oxide, is used for the designs. It appears yellowish-green with a touch of brown. The dots on the "iris" in this pattern are again orangish.
Teal
This pretty glaze is a forest
green. It is simply called "teal" or "green." It looks like
the bags from Marshall Field's department store. On vertical surfaces
the abstract design is created by flowing hot wax. The wax acts as a
resist and keeps the glaze from adhering to the surface. On flat
surfaces there is no design. Centuries ago, the Greeks glazed the
surfaces of their clay vessels to keep bacteria from growing. An
unglazed surface may absorb up to 2% moisture when sitting in or holding
water,
therefore totally glazing a surface that will hold food is important.
Carlton Ball's Brown-Black
211A or van Gogh Blue
I use these three glazes as accents. All three
have the abstract design
using the hot wax resist on vertical
surfaces or a somewhat plain solid color on flat
pieces like pie plates
and dinner plates. Carlton Ball's Brown-Black was developed
by
Carlton Ball, a well known West Coast potter. Lewis Yellow was
formulated at the Archie Bray Foundation in Montana. This glaze
vacillates between yellows and browns. 211A or van Gogh Blue is
another of my Colorado glazes. It is a clay-based glaze and has an
orange peel texture similar to a salt-glazed piece. Some days it is
green,
other days blue and
sometimes a little of each.