Sarah Hillman Glazing

[docweathers]

I love some of Sarah Hillman's pots, http://www.sarahhillmanceramics.com/  .I would like to try making some stuff like that, but I don't understand how she gets such a sharp edge between the inside and outside glaze. Can anyone explain how one does this?

[Mark C.]

Only a guess here-

looks like slip cast forms with cut outs

outside looks glaze free

only the inside looks glazed or underglazed

also the look is dull so maybe matt or underglaze inside-its all non-funtional so options are many

The temp. is also an unknown so that leaves some options open

 

Are there any details you can add to these guesses?

Mark

[Chilly]

Could be underglazes

[Benzine]

I agree with Chilly. Those do look like underglazes. Alternately, they could be matte glazes that REALLY stay put.

[Pres]

I would consider the use of air brush, and frisket, as they have very smooth surfaces. They are probably as others said underglazes.

 

Another option would be slips applied at leather hard-sprayed, and then carved when drier.

[Colby Charpentier]

A likely possibility is casting an outer layer of white clay with a colored layer on the inside. Reading her website, "Each piece is made in pure white clay and is hand cut with sweeping curves to reveal a bold, colourful and vibrant interior." This supports the suggestion of a two color casting, however, her images are low res and it's pretty difficult to confirm. If I had to replicate her forms, I would try this approach first. Feel free to reach out to her through e-mail, facebook, or twitter.

[neilestrick]

If you wanted to do that with glazes, first glaze the inside, then wax over it and clean off any excess that has dripped on the outside. Let it dry overnight, then glaze the outside. Where the two glazes meet you will probably get some bleeding unless they are very stiff glazes. Ideally, use two colors of the same glaze, as they will be less likely to bleed. The other option is to cover the inside or outside with an underglaze, then glaze the entire piece with a transparent glaze, either clear or colored.

[rayaldridge]

Just to add to what Neil says (very useful advice if you're making functional pots and don't want the liner glaze to mix with the exterior glaze) the physical form of the edge has some effect on the cleanliness of the line.  If there is a sharp change in direction at the edge where inner glaze meets outer, it helps keep the glazes on the intended side of the edge.

 

But as a lazy potter, I'm gravitating toward slips that can be wiped off the leather hard pot to define changes in color.

[docweathers]

Thank you for some very helpful and creative strategies.. I'm going to give them a try. 

 

I wrote Sarah and this is what she said

 

"I leave the exterior of the pieces in their natural colour and just spray the colour onto the interior of the bisq pieces very carefully. Any overspray I clean off by hand. I don't use glaze but hand mixed terra sig colours; definition is much harder to achieve with glaze."