Ken Horstman Studios

Store Closed Temporarily

As you know after many false alarms with setting the store up and getting it up and running last month.  I’m doing some changes it to make it work even better.  I’ll sent out the date of the restart in my newsletter which you can sign up for here.  Contact me   Also I would like to add that Format.com makes it so easy to set up a store you really should use this as your web host.  Full disclosure that is my affiliate link.


Some Slipware Examples

In the last several blog entries I have been writing of, the several uses of magic water.  One the uses is for decorating pots using an engobe.  Some people interchange the term decorative slip for engobe. To read more about this, check out last weeks post Magic Water Part Three. 


This week I show two potters that use decorative sips/engobes in some of their work.  This is not to say that either of these potters use magic water in anyway.  Both artist can be found at their web sites and on You Tube.

Below are links to one of their videos and their websites.


As always any questions use my contact page and while your there don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list


Steven Hill

You Tube Video

Website

https://www.stevenhillpottery.com


Joe Thompson

You Tube Video

Website

https://www.oldforgecreations.co.uk










  







Magic Water Part Three

This is part three in a series about some of the many uses of Magic Water.  Please refer to my blog, Magic Water Part One and Magic Water Part Two for the Recipe(s), a description of what it is and other uses.  They also contain some helpful links.


One of the ways to use Magic Water. Is to add dried and crushed dry from your trimming scraps etc… to your magic water and blend with an immersion blender to your desired thickness.    This liquid can be used for attaching handles etc.. or it can be used as a decorative slip.  It can also be made extra thick by adding more clay and it can be used to make drips on the side of your pots  ( if you want  to know the science behind this just use the contact page to ask me a question.)  You can also add colorants such as Mason Stains or Chemical Oxides  to this slip for a wide variety of results.  I recommend adding the colorants to some magic water before adding to the slip to ensure better blending.


Magic Water is also great for repairing cracks and attaching pieces to greenware as well as leather hard clay.  I find I do have better results with leather hard clay as opposed to greenware.   First get some Magic Water and some Thickened Magic Water Slip.  ( this should be quite thick and may take some practice to get the thickness that works for you and your individual needs)

First take the pieces or crack you want to mend and brush the plain Magic water into the crack while it’s still wet brush the thickened slip over the crack until filled ( do both sides if needed).  Clean up the excess slip with a rib/fettling knife or tool of your preference.  Then as the patch is drying you can carefully burnish the area. this should help hide the crack ( you can skip the burnishing step if you don’t think it’s necessary)   

As with anything it may take some practice to get the results you want.    


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