Hand slab constructed stoneware tree form sculptures made in 2023 in the studio with iron glaze hand decoration finish based on an original glaze recipe used in the 1970s.
Andrew Matheson is a Royal Birmingham Society of Artists member and a member of The Midland Potters Association.
Sizes: From 15cm high x 11cm wide
The TREE LANDSCAPE forms are all constructed from sheets of slab rolled out on hessian although a plaster mould is used for the triangular tree form.
Andrew draws on ideas he for shapes and designs puts down into his sketch books. The reason why! You would spend time trying to copy the drawing and so I find it more creative to construct, its more spontaneous and you are working in 3D and the drawing is 2D. Also the idea develops as you are working. All pieces are just raw clay during the construction and only glazed or coloured after the bisque firing.
GLAZING all pieces are reduction fired.
The GLAZE is made up of DRY FELSPATHIC 1260’c – 1280’c Reduction Bryan Newman (Potter UK well known in 70’s and still around )
POTASH FELDSPAR 20
WHITING 40
CHINA CLAY 80
The pieces have a very dry Matt surface which Andrew combines to a thin mix compared to a normal glaze. He will use two versions of this glaze. One with no oxides and the other with a quarter percent of Cobalt. In both cases applied as a thin glaze using a dipping process.
Before application of the glaze to the BISQUE piece, a wash of either RED IRON oxide or COBALT Oxide is put on. The oxide is washed ON and OFF the day before applying the glaze so it dries overnight. Doing this before applying the glaze and you get a better coating of glaze.
Variations of colouring on the surface depends upon how much of the Oxide you wash off .
The iron oxide gives cream and reds depending on thickness while the Cobalt gives blues.
Some times I use a little iron in the cobalt wash (in the sponge but the tiniest amount).
Then the piece is fired to see what effect is brought out in the firing in the kiln.