So, after a full summer of glaze testing, I have come out with only two new winners and some tweaking to my old favorites. I had a lot of colors look great on those little test tiles but then look terrible once they were on a larger vertical surface.
After glaze firing my favorite new test glazes onto real pots, I finally understood that most recipes are for dipping pots into a large drum of glaze to give your piece an even heavy coating. I usually dip my test tiles because they are so little and I am lazy. I don't have to keep rewashing brushes if I dip. BUT...by dipping my test tiles, I was reproducing a technique and end product that didn't reflect how I typically work.
When I glaze my work, I prefer to hand brush the glazes to get more inconsistencies while still getting full coverage. I prefer the aesthetic of having each piece visually look handmade rather than aiming for the perfection that reminds me of mass production.
In the end, I was most successful with using my standard base glaze but altering the additives. Here is a shot of a red iron oxide/cobalt mix that I think is a keeper. Now I need some help giving it a name. Any suggestions for the brown glaze?
