Ashes in My Glaze
To bring forth light from waste, what an exhilarating and joyful adventure… a process that brings me closer and closer to the alchemists of the past.
I am currently working on new ash-based glazes.
For many years, I have been collecting the ashes from my home’s wood stove. I burn beech and oak there, but also anything else that comes my way and can be converted into heat ;-).
This goes completely against the recommendations of the great Masters and purists (my father included!). Their approach involves using very pure ashes, resulting from the combustion of a single plant. This allows for research that closely matches the ash compositions found in their books.
The ash I obtain (while heating my home) is very rich and interesting due to the diversity of its composition.
This goes completely against the recommendations of the great Masters and purists (my father included!). Their approach involves using very pure ashes, resulting from the combustion of a single plant. This allows for research that closely matches the ash compositions found in their books.
The ash I obtain (while heating my home) is very rich and interesting due to the diversity of its composition.
Burning plants in a barrel just to obtain ash, without benefiting from the heat output, belongs to another era….
And you, what kind of ashes do you have access to?
Does this give you any ideas?
