View Larger Image As a participant in the Glaze Forward project, you'll receive tiles of all the glazes (such as this satin celadon test tile fired to Cone 6 reduction) for you to examine and then forward on to the next name on the list.

August 27, 2007

Paying it Forward with Cone 6 Glazes

by Diana Pancioli | Read Comments (0)

Last week, Ceramic Arts Daily’s focus was on back-to-school. You learned how mathematics— mathematics!— can play an important role in creating with clay. You also heard from a handful of teachers who offered their insights on what they do to motivate their students and keep them excited about ceramics in the classroom. On a related topic, today you’ll read about a glaze project called Glaze Forward that shares common ground with a book that many schools around the country have integrated into their curriculum: Pay It Forward.

In the book, teacher Reuben St. Clair starts a movement with this voluntary, extra-credit assignment: Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action. Trevor, the 12-year-old hero of Pay It Forward describes his idea to his mother and teacher this way: "You see, I do something real good for three people. And then when they ask how they can pay it back, I say they have to Pay It Forward. To three more people. Each. So nine people get helped. Then those people have to do twenty-seven." He turned on the calculator, punched in a few numbers. "Then it sort of spreads out, see. To eighty-one. Then two hundred forty-three. Then seven hundred twenty-nine. Then two thousand, one hundred eighty-seven. See how big it gets?"

Perhaps not as lofty idea as that, but with its own rewarding merits for the ceramics community, is Diana Pancioli’s Glaze Forward project, which she describes below.

Glaze Forward
by Diana Pancioli
The “Glaze Forward” project was developed to promote reduction-fired glazes at Cone 6. It works somewhat like library loan; for a small fee, test tiles are sent upon request along with a booklet of recipes and analyses. The tiles can be kept and studied for one week before they are forwarded along to the next name on the list. The booklet is yours to keep.

Firing to Cone 6 reduction has some obvious advantages over firing to Cone 10 reduction. First, the most important part of the firing—from body reduction to finish—fits nicely into a working day when candled overnight. In a school setting, this schedule allows students the opportunity to learn to fire with confidence. Secondly, firing to Cone 6 reduction reduces fuel costs significantly, some say by at least a third. Considering the recent increases in the price of fuel, this project is timely.

I designed Glaze Forward with its “real tile” component because I believe that potters need tangible proof that Cone 6 reduction can produce comparable glazes to Cone 10 reduction. I was never satisfied using photographs or descriptions to disseminate information about glazes, and this project allows you to actually see and touch glaze samples in person.

The project works like this: interested artists sign on to the Glaze Forward website, print out a form, fill it out and mail it, along with a check for $10, to the address given. A booklet is sent that includes 22 recipes for Cone 6 reduction glazes, their unity molecular formulas, leach-test results and comments.

Tiles of all the glazes are then shipped for examination, on loan for one week. After a week, it is the responsibility of the loanee to repackage and ship the tiles to the next name on the list. Ten sets of tiles will be circulating at any given time, so the wait for tiles should not be long. It is also possible to receive only the booklet, opting out of receiving and circulating the test tiles.

Hundreds of glazes were tested to find the final recipes that are included in the project. I worked to improve them, tweaking the formulas to make them more beautiful, easier to formulate and, as much as possible, stable and craze free. Participating artists are invited to experiment with the recipes for improvements and variations, and share them with others via the Glaze Forward website (www.glazeforward.com).

For More Information
You can sign-up to participate in Glaze Forward by completing the form on the website located at www.glazeforward.com. You’ll be sent a booklet that includes 22 recipes for Cone 6 reduction glazes, their unity molecular formulas, leach test results, and comments. Tiles of all the glazes will be shipped to you later for your examination, on loan, for one week, after which you will forward the tiles to the next name on the list. According to the Diana, the money earned from this not-for-profit project will be used first to recoup the cost of leach testing and preliminary shipping, with the remainder being donated to K-12 ceramic programs.