too much oxide me thinks

Today i got the first look at some of my white clay and glaze experiments, fresh from the kiln I discovered these samples some successful many not so successful. Most of my experiments with iron oxide have come out far darker and redder than i had anticipated. Once fired the white clay has taken on a very oaty colour which i'm so pleased with.

Alongside these ceramic investigations i have been exploring the other methods of making a stain permanent and valuable. I left a series of cloths,cut from bedding and tablecloths around my kitchen and watched them collect stains as my housemates lived around them. i have since begun stitching over the stains. i haven't decided yet if i will leave the stains hidden beneath the stitch or wash the cloths and remove the original stain ...

stain stain go away,come again another day

I have a really strong memory of a time when i was about 9 when my aunt emma spent the night at my grandmothers house,the next morning when my aunt had gone my grandma went to clean the room that emma had slept in. she had left her mug overnight sitting ontop of my grandmothers bible.Grandma was devestated and nothing could be done to remove the mark. The stain was permanant as is the memory.

This is a project i'm working on at the moment. i'm still in the very early stages of clay and glaze experiments, my aim is to try to make stains which would ordinarily be removed and unwanted,desirable and attreactive. an integral part of the object.

I read an article last month about the craft practitioner Joana Meroz,her method of practice and theories about craft really struck me as being clear and well thought out, craft is a part of her life. when talking about her work she said
'it's about the dedication to ornament your life,and not just what will be seen by others'