Future Studio

Iron in the Fire

Cone 8 electric, fast-fired. From left to right: wild clay red stoneware body, iron blue from "Bristol Nuka" glaze over red stoneware, and "Old Seto" glaze from the Leach book.

New work from Eric Hansen

Here is the local clay which is decomposed mountain material, quartz, mica, feldspar, fired to cone 8. It began to self-glaze even in the electric kiln. Other examples below include two pieces of true rice hull ash nuka iron blue, a well used tea bowl, and a new bowl with a gloss glaze Hansen is beginning to now use.

This piece is about the size of a shot glass.

Small but heavy stoneware bowl.

The glaze is called Hambone's 123.

Somewhat underfired, it is excellent for very hot liquids since the clay body insulates. The bowl is also slightly pyramidical, for further retention of heat. Using this bowl is irresistable; the crazing pattern is natural stain from dark teas.

Glaze is Kemp 111 from the infamous "Chit-Chat" archives.

New Eric Hansen Cone 8 Electric work

Sometimes it seems like a hard sell trying to get appreciation for mid-fire electric. Hansen was told by a great master potter that if he could make good pots this way, he could make good pots in any other firing atmosphere. It is all in the making of good pots, not the finishes that go over them. And it sounded like a challenge.

Koetsu bowl at the Freer

"Hank and I went to the storage room at the Freer to view our favorite pots, mine is this amazing tea bowl by Koetsu. The method for making is very similar to the Raku style, but the color of the glaze is a deep olive green."