American Bonsai Society - Forum

by **pJkatich** » Aug 11, 2011 4:42 pm

Here are a few more for your viewing pleasure.

: 259-043-11; 259-043-11.jpg (103.47 KiB) Viewed 1827 times

: 259-045-11; 259-045-11.jpg (71.7 KiB) Viewed 1827 times

: 259-046-11; 259-046-11.jpg (103.28 KiB) Viewed 1827 times

Enjoy,
Paul

by **mboatman** » Aug 11, 2011 6:39 pm

I really like the brown pots. Nice!

by **pJkatich** » Aug 12, 2011 5:51 pm

mboatman wrote:I really like the brown pots. Nice!

Thanks Mitch, I appreciate the positive feedback.

Each of these pots is finished with an engobe.

An engobe is basically a slip (thin clay mixture) that is applied to the surface to emulate the unglazed look of tokonoma pots.

Regards,
Paul

by **pJkatich** » Sep 28, 2011 5:10 pm

Things have been a bit slow around here.

So here are a few Crescent pots for you to look at.

: 259-045-11; 259-045-11.02.jpg (91.6 KiB) Viewed 1736 times

: 245-046-11; 259-046-11.01.jpg (79.42 KiB) Viewed 1736 times

: 259-049-11; 259-049-11.02.jpg (98.63 KiB) Viewed 1736 times

I hope you enjoy.

Cheers,
Paul

by **ronlang** » Oct 07, 2011 7:43 pm

Hi Paul
I've been meaning to tell you how good those engobe surfaced pots look. They have such a warm smooth surface and even a soft sheen which isn't easy to get with clay slips. The reddish one especially almost looks like terra sigillata. As you know, terra sig. is a clay slip made up of the finest particles removed off the top, after the decanting, in water, of a clay solution. Over a few days the heaviest and largest particles settle to the bottom while the finest remain on top. This slip when painted on a clay surface imparts a soft sheen that can be polished or burnished to further enhance the effect. Southwestern American Indian pots are probably some of the most familiar examples.
So, I'm not asking how, but you have managed to get a similar surface at high temperature. Actual terra sig is usually relegated to low temperature ceramics. These surfaces of yours also remind me of the beautiful clays from the Yixing region in China. Quite nice!
Ron

by **pJkatich** » Oct 09, 2011 9:52 am

ronlang wrote:Hi Paul
I've been meaning to tell you how good those engobe surfaced pots look. They have such a warm smooth surface and even a soft sheen which isn't easy to get with clay slips. The reddish one especially almost looks like terra sigillata. As you know, terra sig. is a clay slip made up of the finest particles removed off the top, after the decanting, in water, of a clay solution. Over a few days the heaviest and largest particles settle to the bottom while the finest remain on top. This slip when painted on a clay surface imparts a soft sheen that can be polished or burnished to further enhance the effect. Southwestern American Indian pots are probably some of the most familiar examples.
So, I'm not asking how, but you have managed to get a similar surface at high temperature. Actual terra sig is usually relegated to low temperature ceramics. These surfaces of yours also remind me of the beautiful clays from the Yixing region in China. Quite nice!
Ron

Hello Ron,

Unfortunately, the commercial clay bodies that are available to me do not look good when fired alone. These engobe finishes are my attempt to recreate the unglazed look of good quality Japanese and Chinese pots. They are the culmination of many tests that I conducted over a two year period to find just the right combination of materials and oxides.

The one you commented on uses Red Iron Oxide to produce the color. I also use Black Iron Oxide, Burnt Umber, Crocus Martis, Manganese Dioxide, Ilmenite, and Iron Chromate to produce a range of colored engobes. I designed my engobe base so that it can be applied to bisque rather than green ware.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I appreciate your feedback very much.

Regards,
Paul