Ten Green Glazes - Finding Inspiration in the Salt Marsh
Over the past year, I have spent a great deal of time looking at my local salt marshes and coastal environments for inspiration in my ceramic work. One thing that has really struck me is just how many variations of green can be found in nature, from the soft, muted shades of salt marsh grasses to the deeper, richer greens of seaweed and the subtle tones of moss and algae.
I decided to set myself a challenge: to develop ten different green glazes that I could use within my own work, drawing on the colours and textures of these coastal landscapes.
It turned into a long day of mixing, measuring and sieving, but I am delighted with the results. Each glaze offers something a little different, and together they provide a strong starting point for developing a wider palette of greens for future pieces.
There is still work to do. I think some of the glazes are currently a little too thick, so I need to refine their consistency and see how they behave when applied to my ceramics. Glaze development is always a process of experimentation, observation and adjustment, and I expect these first results to evolve as I continue testing.
One of the most interesting aspects of the day was working with the celadon glazes. Because they contain iron, they need to be fired in a reduction atmosphere to develop their characteristic green tones. This involves limiting the oxygen available in the kiln, changing how the iron compounds behave and, in turn, influencing the final colour.
The other green glazes in my collection derive their colour from copper carbonate or copper
oxide, so these were fired in the electric kiln under oxidation conditions. It was fascinating to explore how different colourants and firing atmospheres can produce such a variety of greens.
For me, this experiment is about more than simply creating a collection of glaze recipes. It is about translating the colours I have observed in the landscape into my ceramic practice, capturing some of the subtle variations that make the saltmarsh and coastal environment so inspiring.
Ten greens feels like a good beginning, but I suspect there are many more still to discover. I look forward to refining these glazes, experimenting with their application and gradually expanding my palette as my work continues to develop.
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