Alisa Clausen on wed 8 jun 05
On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 19:06:12 -0400, Bruce Girrell =
wrote:
>Alisa,
>
>The most difficult part of glaze testing for me is the tedium of =
weighing.
>How do you manage all these tests? Do you weigh everything by hand or =
do you
>have a more efficient means of tackling that problem?
>
>=20
Dear Bruce,
You only signed Bruce Girrell. Where is your middle named designed for =
my testing?!
I think, in general, a lot of people do not like to test, because it is =
time consuming, even elbow consuming to make all those little test =
batches.
However, you can do two things to greatly reduce the tedium I think:
1. Organize your test table and streamline your testing.
Make a test area if you have space. Or make a box with everything you =
need to set up when you are going to test. Have small canisters of all =
the raw materials one usually has to make glazes, in small amounts, like =
500 grams. Have them all together, near your testing area. This way, =
your ingredients are right where you are. I think some people have all =
of their ingredients in big bags. Each time they make a test, they need =
to walk over to the big bags, open up, walk half way across the studio =
with a teaspoon of powder, losing most of it on the way, and repeat this =
50 times to make 9 tests. I would be a nutcase.
On your table, you have your scale, cups, a water proof marker, your =
recipe book, with one recipe on each page, a supply of water, scoops and =
a rag.
For each test, write test name on cup, you weigh out your ingredients =
one at time, dump into the cup, check off on the recipe, put test cup on =
a safe area. If you have your scale in front of you, all of your =
materials to your right (left if you are left handed), your cups to the =
left,know where your marker is, keep your recipes out of reach of =
getting wet, you will be making tests pretty systematically. You be =
reaching just left and right and not waltzing back in forth, so that you =
cannot remember what you have in your spoon.
When you get more self assured, start with some water in each cup, and =
add the ingredients to the water. They will be easier to mix later. =
When you add the dry ingredients, add them in a corner, so you can see =
that each time you are adding a different material by noticing the color =
of materials.
When you get really self assured, add your ingredients by tare-ing the =
weight after each addition. Now, we are going lightening fast. But =
don't lose your head, keep checking off and concentrating on what =
material you are adding, or mistakes happen. =20
2. Think of testing and making glaze just as important as making your =
ceramics. It will not be tedious because you will have a working rhythm =
just like making your ceramic work. It will be a part of your success =
as a whole. =20
Perhaps that was more than you wanted to read. So, just because it is =
one of my soapboxes and one of my passions, a bit more.
regards from Alis
PS
At NCECA, people said to me mixed comments about testing.
How do you have so much time to play? =20
You only test glazes, I make glazes.
I most loved Paul Lewing from our very first greeting, when he said, oh, =
you are the manic glaze tester. He forgot the a. =20
Others greeted me from out of the blue to say that they appreciated the =
information being shared on Clayart.
I do not play when I test glazes. It requires concentration and some =
reasonable logic. I admit I like to make tests, because ceramics is =
indeed a lifestyle for me. Glazes are just as much part of the =
lifestyle as is the clay. I have such an understanding Claus man. He =
gets to sail, I get to spend time in my glaze studio. Helene gets two =
reasonably happy parents. Testing and making glazes go hand in hand =
(how else can you learn what materials do in order to eventually make =
recipes), I am perhaps a maniac when it comes to disciplining myself to =
learn something. Therefore the tests. It is not just the shiny =
results, but rather the invaluable learning of materials and their =
properties along the way. The most interesting so far for me are the red =
clay glazes I have been making from going further with test results of =
Lili's recipes and ssh, even some of my own ideas based on how I assume =
a material will influence the others. Sometimes yes, sometimes way no =
doggie doo doo brown.
It is important to drop the idea that testing is drudge work, but =
rather, a part of our process.
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