docweathers Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 I'm experimenting with a number of ways to try to get better mocha diffusion. I just boiled up some nasty tobacco tea. I understand that it's best to let it all stand for a week. During that time a bacterial scum is supposed to form on the surface. My question is, does this bacteria chemically add something useful to the tobacco tea or is it just a random annoyance. I ask because putting a wine bubbler on the container with this nasty goop would likely inhibit the scum from forming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Okay, maybe I'm just one dummy rodent, but...um...are we talking glaze, here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 It is more a slip than a glaze. I think if I remember rightly you get a reaction between the alkaline slip and the what I would call an acid wash, the tobacco tea. I would guess the bacteria would excrete something, but is it useful? I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Wow!! That sounds really cool! The core of my work is slip, and I'm always looking for fun new ways to use it as my drawing background. Discovering new illustration techniques! Do either of you have a link to what this is about and/or what it looks like? :3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evelyne Schoenmann Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 I never tried the Mocha Diffusion myself. Always wanted to, but all that nasty stuff.... Best potter to explain Mocha Diffusion is Robin Hopper! Go to the PC bookstore, look for Robin's "Making Marks" DVD. And on youtube: Maybe I'll try it one day.... Evelyne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docweathers Posted February 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 I have carefully read Hoppers stuff and watched his video several times. The problem with guys like him is that he is so good at what he does that he automatically takes care of a lot of important subtleties without pointing to them. I've got basic mocha diffusion working but it seems like a fairly unstable and unpredictable phenomena that a few people have mastered spectacularly. I'm trying to refine it so I can get bigger better and more reliable patterns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Holy crackers!! That stuff is really spectacular! Maybe you could post some of your MD stuff on the forum and get some tips from others who do it. :3 I wonder if that guy might be willing to share his tobacco recipe with you--have you tried to contact him? He seems like a nice old guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 doc, robin hopper is in your neighborhood, (if you count 100 miles or so.) why not just arrange a visit where you can ask all your technical questions of an expert? do you think it matters what kind of tobacco you use, the smoking kind or the chewing kind? why boil it? are you distilling the info from several sources to come up with the best recipe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Is Robin Hopper back working in his studio? I read that he had cut back because of a illness, I met him at the Fort Worth NECEA years ago, nice fellow. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evelyne Schoenmann Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 No, I think Robin isn't back in his studio. I heard he's stopped working as a potter. Too painful. Still fairly ill. If I would live a 100 miles from his house, I would drive to his home tomorrow. Such a nice guy and so helpful. Doc, write him an email. I'am sure he will be happy to help. He's on fb too! Evelyne PS: I still don't like to chew tobacco.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docweathers Posted February 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Actually I'm closer to 300 miles from where he is. I've unsuccessfully searched his website for an email address. I think there is a message in that he doesn't make his email available. If anyone has one for him would appreciate it. I will check out finding him on Facebook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rakukuku Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 some people at my studio were experimenting with this. They found other things that would work besides tobacco tea. like i think maybe vinegar. i will ask about it. rakuku Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docweathers Posted February 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Here is a useful link I found in my quest http://www.potters.org/subject05544.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evelyne Schoenmann Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Doc, I'am friends with Robin on fb. I also have his email address, but I like to first ask him whether I may give it to anybody. Stay tuned.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Here is a link to his blog site: http://rhrising.blogspot.com/ If you comment on a post, he'll respond. Glad to see he has published is latest book on gardening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evelyne Schoenmann Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Doc: Robin said I may give you his email address. He says he has an info sheet he can send and that he worked for 50 years with moch diffusion. I will p.m. you and tell you his email address. Don't know whether I may post it officially, so anybody else who is interested in the info sheet, please contact me via p.m. and tell me your own email address. I will retransmit it to Robin. Such a nice and helpful person! And yes, look out for his book on gardening! Evelyne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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