AusBonsai

A very special little friend has asked me to make a pot for her birthday. She has described the shape, style & size she would like and also the colour glaze she wants on it HOT PINK! I have been looking thru catalogues to see if a commercial glaze is available to no avail. Having said that i would much prefer to make up my own over a bought product anyday so ...

Its not the sort of colour that would be seen on a bonsai pot but I am hoping someone here may be able to help, or atleast point me in a good direction to start experimenting.

Many thanks in advance
Matt

Hi Matt.
You can get that from a low-fire underglaze over the white raku. If you hurry, and make the pot, it can go in with my landscape pots next week. I might have a suitable colour in my stock.
Penny.

I just hope she is not into bonsai!!

Penny,

Bit(sic) of research into the wee hours this morning has turned up some possibilities. Will discuss when I see you over the weekend, a tip from another potter put me onto Mason Stains and OMG what a range. Have a few ideas to try before that tho... look out books I am going to be doing alot more theory. I am thinking of using the HSA base & just adjusting the colourants. If I cant work it out with your help then i will resort to buying the commercial mix. Maybe we can mix up a first test batch for my firing this w/e? (where is the begging smiley?)

These are too important to rush and I dont even have the clay for them yet, she wants a more usuable sized pot than I normally make, one in pink & one in powder blue (sorted, my mod'ed HSA) so I will make 4 & pray that if 2 fail its one of each & not both of one colour.


Mela,

Dont like the idea of a Barbie pink bonsai pot? I recoiled as much as many probably had regarding that idea but now I am starting to wonder, bit of oxide here & there to adjust the consistency & it could be interesting They will be used for growing strawberries & given she is 5yrs old I think her colour choices were natural. I am now looking forward to seeing if I can meet her chalenge...

Matt

I might be interested in one for my daughter if there are some trial left overs.

You can also get a pink to maroon colour by adding a touch of Chrome oxide to a white tin glaze. I have made some very nice sutle colours using this method. Greens with a pink streaks and a nice sutle maroneish colour.One problem is it contaminates the kiln and any white glaze containing tin may have a slight pink blush. I now only use my small kiln for glazes with chrome. I have just had a look for photos, but I don't have any if the rain holds off this afternoon I will take a couple.
Lynette

Lynette,

Thanks for the information regarding the use of Chrome, does it only affect that firing or have a residual effect on future ones? I have only had small amounts of space in Penny's firings. This weekend I am doing my first full firing of my own work, with alot of help & guidance from her as I am using her kiln.

I have my own kiln on its way once a shed is built & organised and then the fun can really begin.

Would love to see some of your work, take some pics & post them for us to see.

Matt

Matt, I would definitely be interested in purchasing one off you in pink for a friend of mine as a gift
Let me know how it goes, if both pink ones work out and you want to let go of one, let me know
Cheers man
nathan.
PS that giant crabapple is going NUTS going to have to do some initial work to it soon!!1