Skip to main content

Triaxial Blends


Triaxial Chart
Triaxial blending is a method of testing varying amounts of three different materials or colors.

For my Triaxial blends I used Dixon Clay that I low fired to cone 04. I made 21 pinch pots and followed the chart to the left. I mixed Nepheline Syenite, Frit 3124 and Georgia Kaolin.

For my high fire experiments I used Aurora White Clay and fired to cone 6. I don't tend to fire much higher so I choose these two temps to go to for my future work exploration. For the Triaxial for this firing I used: Custer Feldspar, Magnesium Carbonate and Silica.

pinch pots bisque fired- ready for low fire ingredients



a=custer feldspar b=silica c=Mag carbonate
a= Neph Syenite b=Frit 3124 c=ga kaolin





everything was measured with extreme care


ready to be glaze fired

numbers 1- 21 cone 6. Notice how they get dry and really cracked looking
#1 in Aurora cone 6 firing


My findings for the high fire tests were this: #1( 100% custer feldspar) seemed thick, smooth and had a matte gloss beige color to it. Like pudding. There were some slight cracking.  #7(40% custer feldspar, 60%Silica) white and smooth. #8- major cracking occurs, dry and white.#21 very little sticking to cup , very chalky, almost dust.






#21 cone 6= extreme cracking and chalky
#7 cone 6 smooth and white




Low fired #1-21

Low Fired to cone 04 #1-21



The Dixon clay red pots are the low fired ones. #1 was 100% Neph Syenite. - it turned out smooth , and white
#2 was a milky white clearer than #1
#4 milk white but cracks start appearing. 
#17 shiniest clear- 80% Frit 3124, 20% Ga Kaolin
#21 100% Ga Kaolin- cracky white- not smoothe









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Palissy Ware

Bernard Palissy (1509-1589), French potter,  geologist and naturalist (Retrieved from: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/3-bernard- palissy-french-potter-sheila-terry.html ) "Palissy Ware" is a form of 19th Century ceramics invented by French potter Bernard Palissy.  At the time of its inception, Palissy Ware was known as "Rustique" Ware by Palissy himself. Palissy Ware is made out of earthenware and usually depicts realistic water or pond scenes with individually painted snakes, frogs, and foliage; "Palissy's distinctive style of polychrome lead-glazed earthenware in a sombre earth-toned palette, using naturalistic scenes of plants and animals cast from life,[1] was much imitated by other potters both in his own lifetime and especially in the 19th century, when pottery in Palissy's style was produced by Charles-Jean Avisseau of Tours, who rediscovered Palissy's techniques in 1843, his relatives the Landais family of To...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meissen Figurines

The history of Meissen Figurines is an interesting saga. I never knew that these little people my grandparents had on their buffets were the coveted objects of kings. During the Yuan Dynasty (1280-1368), Porcelain was born in China. By the 17th century, Europeans were eager to get their hands on this strong ceramic material. China, who was making money on their sought after creations did not want to give up any secrets. So, early in the 18th century, "Augustus the Strong, elector of Saxony, arrested alchemist Johann Fredrich Bottger and imprisoned him in the town of Meissen: his mission, to discover the secret formula for hard paste porcelain. "(http://www.rauantiques.com/library/meissen--the-allure-of-continental-porcelain-506.html ) By 1708, our man Bottger figured out the formula and was released. Sure enough the factories in Europe got in on the competitive action and began creating with porcelain. Four Seasons Figurines By Meissen Source: http://www.rauantiques...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thrilled to be featured in the New Mexican’s Weekly Magazine of the Arts, “Pasatiempo”

"Another Birthday" 2024 Clay, Glazes Here is a link to the online article which was published in the February 28, 2025 real live physical newspaper Friday art section of The New Mexican :  https://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/turner-carroll-gallery-turns-history-on-its-head-in-new-exhibition/article_a25205b8-ed6e-11ef-aab7-a34c880f2c57.html  Turner Carroll Gallery Turns History on its Head in New Exhibition santafenewmexican.com Nicole Merkens Art & Design www.nicolemerkens.com   Insta:  @artgirl253 Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/nicolemerkensart
Post a Comment
Read more