|
Eleanor Murphey
Wax Resist Pottery
I work with a high fire stoneware clay
body, each piece is thrown on a potters wheel or hand built or both, all the
work is done by me from start to finish. I use an acrylic-based wax resist
medium, the wax is used to separate
the different glazes during the application period, much like batik on
cloth. I apply the
wax to bisque ware (clay that has been fired to a semi-vitreous state) with
bamboo brushes. When the wax dries, I apply the glazes, stains or oxides
that are used for the different colors I am trying to achieve. The glazes
are water-based mixtures which will not adhere to the waxed portions of the
piece. The pots are then fired
to approximately 2300 degrees, the wax burns off leaving a sandy-textured
stoneware line, which gives the glaze a raised effect on the surface of the
piece. Wax resist
is a very old technique that requires a lot of time and patience. I enjoy
the variations in texture and the depth of design the process affords - for
me, it’s well worth all the effort.
If you have problems with the website, contact the
webmaster |