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Anyone Else Interested Or Know Anything About Firing Leopard Spot Shinos?


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I am a photographer and a passionate potter. Recently, I photographed some Leopard Spot Shino pots for someone and fell in love with Leopard Spot Shinos.   I'm intrigued by the organic nature, look of these pots and the process to get them.  I understand that the occurrence of these Leopard Spots can be rare and hard to get.  wanted to check to see if anyone here had anything thoughts on this too.  Is there anyone out there that is as intrigued by this process / these types of results as I am?

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Yeah~! it kind of looks like alternative firing techinques to me too.  I've been researching how I can learn more about acheiving this look and from what I have gathered it is not only the glaze but how you fire it. 

I understand it can be elusive

but the artist I worked with said Tom Coleman and Geil Kilns has been getting consistently incredible results and he has been doing a workshop recently on the mysteries of this process.  ( I found one I posted it on the Clay events section ) I'm going to continue my research but there is not much out there I might have to take the workshop in the fall

And sadly no, I did not purchase one.  they were not for sale. 

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you will never regret taking a workshop from tom coleman.  he is the ultimate potter for me.  I am lucky enough to have gone to two of them. (attending 3 would have made me a groupie and I didn't want to do that.)

 

have met many "famous" potters and he is the most genuine human being of them all.

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I maybe mistaken but I believe that this effect is caused by early and heavy reduction, somewhere below 1500 deg f

This is where carbon is trapped before the glaze starts to melt and creates this spotty look.

Wyndham

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Wow~!~  now I have a multide of things to try with my Malcolm Davis Shino Glaze.

I love that glaze but have never been able to get spots with it. Not for lack of trying.

Thanks so much Wyndham! You've giving me alot to think about. my search continues.

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Wow~!~  now I have a multide of things to try with my Malcolm Davis Shino Glaze.

I love that glaze but have never been able to get spots with it. Not for lack of trying.

Thanks so much Wyndham! You've giving me alot to think about. my search continues.

The glaze only gets you part way there; the real key to the results is the firing schedule . . . as Wyndham alluded to. To get these types of results, you need to do the firing and learn the kiln and its temperament. Be sure to take lots of notes so you can repeat what works.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

The glaze only gets you part way there; the real key to the results is the firing schedule . . . as Wyndham alluded to. To get these types of results, you need to do the firing and learn the kiln and its temperament. Be sure to take lots of notes so you can repeat what works.

 

Thanks for the feedback, the more I learn the more I realize it starts with the glaze but the firing is as important as the glaze, I don't understand why the spot in the kiln would matter? unless it relates to reduction or temp ... it would have to relate to one of these two yes?

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The glaze only gets you part way there; the real key to the results is the firing schedule . . . as Wyndham alluded to. To get these types of results, you need to do the firing and learn the kiln and its temperament. Be sure to take lots of notes so you can repeat what works.

Thanks for the feedback, the more I learn the more I realize it starts with the glaze but the firing is as important as the glaze, I don't understand why the spot in the kiln would matter? unless it relates to reduction or temp ... it would have to relate to one of these two yes?

 

If your kiln fires perfectly even . . . then spot doesn't matter. But kilns vary, even the same kiln will vary depending on density of the load, weather conditions, etc. Generally, there will be hot spots and cold spots, sweet spots and not so sweet spots, for reduction and oxidation. And some glazes prefer more reduction, other look best in oxidation. This is why fuel kiln operators will photograph each firing, both as its being loaded and after firing, to see how glazes perform, where the best spots for reduction are, etc. Another way is to put unglazed clay cookies on the shelves so you can see the flame patters and reduction/oxidation patterns. Add those photos or drawings to you kiln log. All part of getting to know your fuel-fired kiln.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was at a wood kiln firing and someone mentioned soaking soda ash into the pot then put it in styrofoam popcorn for 2 weeks before firing. It worked. I got spots.Evidently the popcorn outgases into the surface. Can't explain anymore than that.I posted the pics in the original discussion in 2012.. It was on cone 6 reduction of Malcolm Davis Shino. Not the greatest pots or shine, but the spots did develop.

 

Marcia

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I like that explanation better. This styrofoam popcorn phenomenon was discussed in Seattle but this sounds more reasonable.

Thanks for explaining that.Bur wait a minute. Why would there be non-carbon trapped dots where the pot was touching the popcorn surface. I think possibly it restricts air eating to the soda ash wash not as suggested "out basing". Maybe something like the was resist restricts air under it. Something to think about.

 

Marcia

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I did it. I took the 3 day firing workshop with Geil Kilns and Tom Coleman! and OMG!
I'm not sure this is the only way to get leopard spot shinos but based on my research, I believe it is the easiest and these guys have dialed it in and have uncovered the mysteries on how to get these little beauties.
 
As was earlier stated... glaze application is important, you want to make sure you get the glaze on thick enough,
but there was no waiting, no drying, ...we pretty much, glazed our pots and stuck them right into the kiln and lit it up.
 
At around 200-300 degrees we could open up the kiln and see the spots forming in front of our eyes.

It was amazing.
The Geil Kiln fired incredibly even top to bottom.  There were some special firing techinques, discovered by Paul Geil that we followed.
And not only did we have Shinos in the kiln we also had Copper Reds, Celadons, Teals and a Yanagihara white glaze that was reformulated to be a white micro crystal glaze that we all got to experiment with Teal and Vegas Red oversprays. 
 
I've attached a few images I took quickly as the kiln was being unloaded.

 
I'd say, It was one of the best workshop experiences I have ever had and I've been to plenty. I'd recommend this workshop to anyone looking to fire their gas kiln with better results, no matter what your preference is for glazes. 

The biggest problem was not everyone put the glaze on thick enough. 

Other than that, the results were amazing!

 

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So, my thoughts are, a pot wrapped in styrofoam peanuts will have areas where the styrofoam is in direct contact with the pot ("contacted areas") and other "open areas" where the styrofoam doesn't actually touch the pot's surface. As the wash or glaze dries, soda ash evaporates/migrates to pot's surface in the "open areas", but no evaporation or surface migration of soda ash occurs in the "contacted areas" (i.e., where the styrofoam touches its acting like wax resist).  Carbon trapping will occur in the open areas where there is soda ash present.  Conversely, no carbon trapping happens in the "contact areas" because there is no evaporated soda ash on the pot's surface at these touch points. 

 

-SD

 Yes but the wax resist (I have done this, rubber bands are good for straight lines :)  ) makes the soda migrate to the sides.  You don't get carbon trap where the wax is (we get pretty good orange usually with a malcom davis).

 

 I think maybe the popcorn actually sucks moisture out where it is located (maybe sponges would work too). Thus causeing the opposite effect. More carbon trap in the spots that are touching.

 

 I'll have to try this out soon, am curious now.

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I was introduced to Malcom Davis Shino just this last semester and witnessed the results that people are describing here with the wax resist.  I noted that someone mentioned a fast-paced: glaze, apply resist and then immediately-into-the-kiln. process  We did some experimenting, comparing pots with Malcolm Davis Shino where some (after applying the glaze and the wax resist) were allowed to dry for a couple of weeks, in contrast with other pots that went directly into the kiln right after the glaze/wax treatment.  Side-by-side in the kiln, there were more dramatic effects on the pots that were allowed to air dry over a longer period.

 

Is it possible that the longer drying period allow the soda to migrate and concentrate more around the wax?

 

By the by, I have never been a great shino fan...until now,

-Paul

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Is it possible that the longer drying period allow the soda to migrate and concentrate more around the wax?

-Paul

Yes, a longer drying period will see more soda migrate to the surface, perhaps even forming crystal-ladders on the outside.

 

I believe Malcom tried a variety of approaches to drying and getting soda to the surface: in closed boxes, packed with various items to create resists on the surface or draw out the soda, wax resist, etc.

 

I've seen potters ladle the soda solution from the top of the glaze bucket and soak their pot in that solution before returning it to the glaze and mixing the glaze for dipping.

 

It would help the discussion if we knew the glaze recipe used; also, the firing schedule: "There were some special firing techinques, discovered by Paul Geil that we followed." Just what were those "special techniques"? And, then, you get to try replicating those techniques in your own kiln.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I appreciate the interest that my inquiry has stimulated.  And all of the feedback for experimentation.  Sorry I don't have the recipe for the glaze, it was not give to us,  but I know it is a shino glaze with extra soda.   And the information needed to experiment with our own shinos was clear, that it is the soda in the glaze applied correctly by spraying and fired in the right environment that creates the spots.  I can you tell this, We didn't wait for drying.  The pots were put directly into the kiln asap. And at around 350 degree we could see the spots forming on the pots when we opened the kiln door.  The only thing out of the ordinary firing schedule would be involving the manipulation of the soda at it's melting point, depending on the soda you use in your glaze, will determine the melting temp.  Carbon was added to help trap the soda on the surface of the glaze. The most impressive thing was the Geil Kiln fired incredibly even top to bottom and back to front so we got spots throughout the kiln. 

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  • 2 months later...

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