From: William Melstrom
[william@handspiral.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 7:14
PM
To: phil@elegantimports.us
Subject: Re: I would like top
buy more of your work.
Dear Phil:
I discovered my signature "blue on ruby" glaze by
accident. The colorants are cobalt, rutile and manganese. They yield
a rather unappealing blackish-blue. I added gold lustre to a piece of it,
re-fired it to cone 018, and miraculously created the ruby and mustard yellow
colors. This was my discovery of striking, although I didn't know that
that was what it was called. I now know that manganese is known to
sometimes create reds, and that the rutile helps to develop reds, yellows and
oranges. A key factor in the creation of ruby, is that it only occurs
where the glaze has pooled. I can get it on bowls and plates, but never on
vases, except, perhaps on a very flat shoulder, or on a ridge that traps glaze
behind it.
I currently have several pieces of blue on ruby
ready to be fired, including some very nice large square plates and a nice,
medium-sized square platter. In fact they've been ready for at least nine
months. The problem, is that I have fumed-out my big kiln with silver
nitrate, and silver nitrate does not mix well with manganese, and ruins the
color. So, I've been waiting to do a few non-silver firings in my big kiln
to clean it out. Except that the only kiln that I have fired all year is
my little kiln, because all I've been doing is small loads of experimental
work. But, I will eventually fire my existing blue on rubys, and I
will eventually make more -- it is one of my very best and most popular
glazes. I have never seen anyone else produce anything like
it.
The orange glaze is created by striking cobalt and
rutile. It too usually only develops where glaze has pooled. For
some reason, I got it to work on several vases, and I plan to make more in the
future.
Best -- William
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 10:05
AM
Subject: RE: I would like top buy more of
your work.
William,
Thanks, but
bummer! Should I just send a check for the 1 piece?
Phil
Hi Phil:
The ruffle rim vase is beautiful, and is still
available.
I don't think that I have anything like the red
or orange pieces. They are NOT colored with slip. I'll tell you
how I do it, and respond in more detail in a couple of hours.
Thank you very much,
William
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 9:04
AM
Subject: FW: I would like top buy
more of your work.
Oh, is the
red color obtained through the use of a colored slip?
Phil
William,
Good
morning.
I would like to buy this
piece. Is it still available?
Also,
Do you have any work for
sale with the coloration exhibited by these 2 pieces?
Phil
Hamling
