Ann, as busy as you must be, you are so kind to always acknowledge the comments you receive. I look forward every week to seeing what new ideas you are going to come up with. Thank you for your teaching , sharing, and techniques that are so inspirational each week. You and Jim make a good team- and I appreciate all the work you do to prepare for the videos we see every week . 😊💕
Hi Alaine. That is so sweet of you. Jim and I do work really hard to put these together, for sure. I am so thankful for people who watch the video and I figure if they can take the time to send me a message when they watch, the least I can do is take the time to answer back. I mean that is what the pottery community is supposed to be about, right. Thanks again for watching and good luck with your pottery.
Hi Doninis. Great! I am so glad you enjoyed it. I really did have a lot of fun doing the experiments and learning what worked, what didnt and how to tweak the process for better results. You should get a studio 🙂
Very cool ideas Ann. I experimented with some mocha diffusion before, only i used oxides as colorants. I can tell you that red iron oxide left me thinking of diarrhea! Cobalt worked well, though, and copper carb gave a nice green in cone 6 oxidation. I never thought of mixing the acids, though. I'll have to try that, as there were things I liked and things I disliked from each of the acids I tried. My experiments were with citric acid, vinegar, coffee and tobacco. I also found that it was easy to control the amount of acid blend dispensed if I used an applicator bottle with a needle tip. It's so fun to try these different techniques! I'll have to dig out my notes and play around with it some more!
Hey Pat! Awesome!! I wish I had come to you before I started doing my experiments for this. Maybe I can do another video where we play around with the different colorants instead of changing out the acids. What a great idea!! I also like the idea of the needle tip. Actually Jim was asking me about that very thing, I just didnt have anything like that in my studio. thanks so much Pat!
What a coicidence! I started looking into MD just a few days ago and one of my favorites and most informative UA-cam channels covers it! Have a coffee!
Hi Chow. What a coincidence. I guess it is true, great minds think alike. Thank you so much for the kind words. Jim and I really appreciate you watching and for you support. You are awesome! 🙂
I have been experimenting with mocha diffusion as well and I discovered the hard way not to use a leather hard pot as the slip did dry out too soon. Wow I love your idea of combining the coke, tobacco and acetone! Thank you for sharing your experiments! Love all your tips!❤
Hey Dragon. Great to hear from you. Thanks as always for your support. I did find that to be one of the trickiest parts of the process was how to get that thick layer of slip not to crack on the pot during the drying process, you are right. The fresher the clay the better...yet the clay has to be stiff enough not to sag or slake down during the process too. I did try other acids even one base...bleach. It was difficult to narrow down to just three to make a more concise video, haha.
Hi Anne! Thanks so much for the kind words and for watching. Im glad you enjoyed it. It was a bit of a tricky process so I was happy to share what I learned so hopefully you can give it a go too. 🙂
I have never gotten the hang of this but the video makes me want to try again. There's a person at the studio I go to who turns her mugs upside down and ends up with perfect looking pine trees when the mug is set upright again. Some of the really round ones look like eyes to me, especially the big spot on the leaf shaped dish.
Hey Vicki. Yes, it can be a bit tricky. You have to get the piece really wet and of course clay is so porous that the window to do the technique is short, plus there are so many other little things you have to pay attention to to get the process to work just right. Keep going with it though. Dont give up 🙂
Ann hi, this is also one of my favourite decorative processes, in class before the holidays we did this in class, we used cider vinegar. Thanks for sharing this beautiful process ❤😊
Hi Denise. thanks so much as always for watching and for your support. I will have to try the cider vinegar. I have tried fruit juice and also wine, but I bet the cider vinegar has yet another interesting look to it. Thanks for the tip.
You suggested test tiles til you get the hang of it. The bonus there is that the mocha doesn't penetrate and can be wiped off or later, sanded or scraped off, thereby not wasting tiles. 😅
Hey Laura. thanks so much for watching. I didnt think about spraying. I like that you are thinking outside the box. My guess is that if you did spray, it would have to be a really fine fine mist so just the tiniest droplets would cause a slight displacement. That might be really interesting for sure. I would think that too much water might just cause diluting of the colorant so you would have to be mindful of that. Give it a go! I bet you would have fun with it.
This is cool! In the Japanese paper marbling technique suminagashi, you add tiny bit of Photo Flo (a wetting agent) to the ink to make it spread. I wonder if that could be helpful here?
Oh, interesting Jeff. I dont know what is in the Photo Flo but you could give it a try. jim and I have been experimenting with all sorts of things. Some work and some not so much, but it is a lot of fun to try. 🙂. Thanks for the ideas and thank you for watching.
I've used citric acid, which is the component in lemon juice. It does work, but gives a different diffusion pattern. I have powdered citric acid, so I can alter the strength. Tea leaves, coffee, vinegar, and other acids all produce different patterns. Mix up small test batches and see what you get!
Hey Anna. Thanks so much for watching! Yes, give it a go for sure. It was a lot of fun once I got the hang of it. The best part was trying the different acids, so give them all a go and see which ones you like the best. Remember that the extreme base materials will work just as well as acids too. I. tried bleach with a good result. Just remember to wear good gloves and eye protection in case of splashing.
Hi Llanitedave. That is a good point. I just used what I had around the house actually, haha. My son drinks diet coke so I had it on hand from his last visit. It was a good way to use up what he didnt drink, haha. That would sure be fun to play around with. If you get a chance, give it a go and let me know 🙂. Thanks for watching. Jim and I really appreciate it.
It does want to rub off easily. You are right. I didnt seem to have any trouble glazing over it, but if it is a real problem you may have to bisque fire it again. Then glaze over top and high fire.
@@karri8998 Hey Karri. I just looked it up and the person who was doing it...fractal wood burning, must have said a hundred times in the video that he did not recommend anyone doing this and said many times how people have died from it but did give great tips on keeping safe. I definitely would be the one to be electrocuted for sure, so you are right I will stick with my pottery, but it is a very fascinating and beautiful effect for sure. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Joyful. Really? No, I hadnt heard that before. My mixture seemed to work alright. Im guessing the fermenting would strengthen the acid and the hopes would be a bigger sunburst. Is that right? Do you know how long he lets it ferment? I still have the batch I made up for the experiment last week. I could give that a go unless you think it needs to ferment for like a month of something.
@@annruel1982 he lets it ferment until there is a substantial layer of mold and then he sieves off the liquid - the colour was quite intense and he did not add any colorants
@@joyfulthings1 Hey Joy. Thanks for answering that. Very interesting. I was thinking though. He had to put some sort of metal colorant into the mix as I think all of the colorant created from organic materials like mold or tobacco leaves would simply fire out in the kiln. I wonder if the purpose of the fermenting would be so that the acid is stronger creating more of a larger sunburst, perhaps? Hmmm..... How large were his sunbursts and other reactions? Were they much different than the reactions I was getting?
Ann, as busy as you must be, you are so kind to always acknowledge the comments you receive.
I look forward every week to seeing what new ideas you are going to come up with. Thank you for your teaching , sharing, and techniques that are so inspirational each week. You and Jim make a good team- and I appreciate all the work you do to prepare for the videos we see every week . 😊💕
Hi Alaine. That is so sweet of you. Jim and I do work really hard to put these together, for sure. I am so thankful for people who watch the video and I figure if they can take the time to send me a message when they watch, the least I can do is take the time to answer back. I mean that is what the pottery community is supposed to be about, right. Thanks again for watching and good luck with your pottery.
On the vase the first dot you made ended up looking like an eagle, so cool!
Hi Mental. Haha, Love that you are thinking out of the box. thanks so much for watching. 🙂
That is totally cool! I could watch it continuously....like a teleidoscope!🤗
Hey Shirley! I was thinking that same thing. They can be so mesmerizing like a fireworks display. Thanks as always for your support 🙂
I love experiments! So great and looks fantastic. I tink I could do that all day, if I had a studio. Thank you for sharing very satifying
Hi Doninis. Great! I am so glad you enjoyed it. I really did have a lot of fun doing the experiments and learning what worked, what didnt and how to tweak the process for better results. You should get a studio 🙂
Thanks Ann! You explain this so well. I can’t wait to try it! 😊
You are so welcome!
Absolutely stunning!
Very cool ideas Ann. I experimented with some mocha diffusion before, only i used oxides as colorants. I can tell you that red iron oxide left me thinking of diarrhea! Cobalt worked well, though, and copper carb gave a nice green in cone 6 oxidation. I never thought of mixing the acids, though. I'll have to try that, as there were things I liked and things I disliked from each of the acids I tried. My experiments were with citric acid, vinegar, coffee and tobacco. I also found that it was easy to control the amount of acid blend dispensed if I used an applicator bottle with a needle tip. It's so fun to try these different techniques! I'll have to dig out my notes and play around with it some more!
the bottle with a needle tip is a great idea ...thanks
Hey Pat! Awesome!! I wish I had come to you before I started doing my experiments for this. Maybe I can do another video where we play around with the different colorants instead of changing out the acids. What a great idea!! I also like the idea of the needle tip. Actually Jim was asking me about that very thing, I just didnt have anything like that in my studio. thanks so much Pat!
What a coicidence! I started looking into MD just a few days ago and one of my favorites and most informative UA-cam channels covers it! Have a coffee!
Hi Chow. What a coincidence. I guess it is true, great minds think alike. Thank you so much for the kind words. Jim and I really appreciate you watching and for you support. You are awesome! 🙂
Mesmerizing! You are intuitive and creative beyond the usual ceramic techniques. Kudos.
I have been experimenting with mocha diffusion as well and I discovered the hard way not to use a leather hard pot as the slip did dry out too soon. Wow I love your idea of combining the coke, tobacco and acetone! Thank you for sharing your experiments! Love all your tips!❤
Hey Dragon. Great to hear from you. Thanks as always for your support. I did find that to be one of the trickiest parts of the process was how to get that thick layer of slip not to crack on the pot during the drying process, you are right. The fresher the clay the better...yet the clay has to be stiff enough not to sag or slake down during the process too. I did try other acids even one base...bleach. It was difficult to narrow down to just three to make a more concise video, haha.
The fractals look great! Thanks for the tips on how to do it !
Hi Anne! Thanks so much for the kind words and for watching. Im glad you enjoyed it. It was a bit of a tricky process so I was happy to share what I learned so hopefully you can give it a go too. 🙂
I am only 3 seconds into your video and so excited to watch the rest!
Hi Karri! Yeah! Im glad you are having as much fun watching as it was for Jim and I to make the video 🙂. Thanks for watching.
I have never gotten the hang of this but the video makes me want to try again. There's a person at the studio I go to who turns her mugs upside down and ends up with perfect looking pine trees when the mug is set upright again. Some of the really round ones look like eyes to me, especially the big spot on the leaf shaped dish.
Hey Vicki. Yes, it can be a bit tricky. You have to get the piece really wet and of course clay is so porous that the window to do the technique is short, plus there are so many other little things you have to pay attention to to get the process to work just right. Keep going with it though. Dont give up 🙂
Amazingly informative, thank you for sharing.
Hey Kevin. You are so welcome! Jim and I really appreciate you watching!! Give it a try.
Wow thanks for sharing!❤
Hey Ellen! You are so welcome!! I really appreciate that!! Thanks for watching. 🙂
Ann hi, this is also one of my favourite decorative processes, in class before the holidays we did this in class, we used cider vinegar. Thanks for sharing this beautiful process ❤😊
Hi Denise. thanks so much as always for watching and for your support. I will have to try the cider vinegar. I have tried fruit juice and also wine, but I bet the cider vinegar has yet another interesting look to it. Thanks for the tip.
Thanks again for another amazing video, so talented!! 😊
Hey Alaine. Aww...thanks so much for the kind words and for watching and supporting Jim and I. You are very sweet. 🙂
Love this one!!!!
Aww....thanks so much!! Jim and I really appreciate you watching. Give it a go 🙂
Such a cool and informative tutorial! 💕🙏
Hi Priyanka. Yeah! I am so happy that you like it. Thanks so. much for watching and give it a go yourself. 🙂
I sure love this!
You suggested test tiles til you get the hang of it. The bonus there is that the mocha doesn't penetrate and can be wiped off or later, sanded or scraped off, thereby not wasting tiles. 😅
I love your sense of fun with the experiment! What would happen if you sprayed a bit of water over the wet slip and stain?
Hey Laura. thanks so much for watching. I didnt think about spraying. I like that you are thinking outside the box. My guess is that if you did spray, it would have to be a really fine fine mist so just the tiniest droplets would cause a slight displacement. That might be really interesting for sure. I would think that too much water might just cause diluting of the colorant so you would have to be mindful of that. Give it a go! I bet you would have fun with it.
I thank you for this. I think your finished pots would be wonderful with less decoration...mocha looks good as a subtle addon.
Hi Randoc. There are all sorts of different ways you can go with this, for sure. Give it a go and thanks for watching. 🙂
Sensacional ❤
This is cool! In the Japanese paper marbling technique suminagashi, you add tiny bit of Photo Flo (a wetting agent) to the ink to make it spread. I wonder if that could be helpful here?
Oh, interesting Jeff. I dont know what is in the Photo Flo but you could give it a try. jim and I have been experimenting with all sorts of things. Some work and some not so much, but it is a lot of fun to try. 🙂. Thanks for the ideas and thank you for watching.
I love them! They are all stunning! Quick question. Can you use other colors of mason stained? Red, blue, etc?❤❤❤❤❤
Yes, but you should test them...depending on clay and color and firing some colors fade etc....enjoy!
So cool! Time to go play Mad Scientist! 👨🔬
Hi Susan. Great. Im glad you enjoyed that. Go for it! I did feel like a mad scientist, you are right 🙂
I want to make the “trees” but make it with the pot upside down! 🤗
Hi Hedge. Good thinking! Love it. Go for it. 🙂
So beautiful!😻 really must have a go at this! Could you use lemon I wonder?! Could you use tea leaves instead of tobacco?
I've used citric acid, which is the component in lemon juice. It does work, but gives a different diffusion pattern. I have powdered citric acid, so I can alter the strength. Tea leaves, coffee, vinegar, and other acids all produce different patterns. Mix up small test batches and see what you get!
Hey Anna. Thanks so much for watching! Yes, give it a go for sure. It was a lot of fun once I got the hang of it. The best part was trying the different acids, so give them all a go and see which ones you like the best. Remember that the extreme base materials will work just as well as acids too. I. tried bleach with a good result. Just remember to wear good gloves and eye protection in case of splashing.
Beautiful! Have you tried using coke with sugar? Would the sugar crystallized in drying and make a different effect?
Hi Llanitedave. That is a good point. I just used what I had around the house actually, haha. My son drinks diet coke so I had it on hand from his last visit. It was a good way to use up what he didnt drink, haha. That would sure be fun to play around with. If you get a chance, give it a go and let me know 🙂. Thanks for watching. Jim and I really appreciate it.
No but Jim told me he once smoked a doobie with a bottle of Tab :). Seriously, not tried that one...I'm gonna check that out!
We are having a hard time getting the mason stain to not rub off after bisque firing. Any suggestions?
It does want to rub off easily. You are right. I didnt seem to have any trouble glazing over it, but if it is a real problem you may have to bisque fire it again. Then glaze over top and high fire.
That reminds me of when people put electricity through wood. Less dangerous though! Very nice, must try this.
Hi Karri. I have not heard of that before. I will have to go look that up. Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching. 🙂
@@annruel1982 It is a very dangerous wood art and many people have been electrocuted and died doing it. Stick with your beautiful pottery.
@@karri8998 Hey Karri. I just looked it up and the person who was doing it...fractal wood burning, must have said a hundred times in the video that he did not recommend anyone doing this and said many times how people have died from it but did give great tips on keeping safe. I definitely would be the one to be electrocuted for sure, so you are right I will stick with my pottery, but it is a very fascinating and beautiful effect for sure. Thanks for sharing.
Thank You Ann...Can we use tobacco solution and fire at Cone 6 or any other solution u showed in tech @ Cone 6?
Yep! Sure can!
@@LittleStreetPottery thank you Ann
I’ve never done this but a potter i know makes lots of these and he said its important to let the tobacco juice ferment. Have you heard of this?
That is what I have been thinking of ,too.
Hi Joyful. Really? No, I hadnt heard that before. My mixture seemed to work alright. Im guessing the fermenting would strengthen the acid and the hopes would be a bigger sunburst. Is that right? Do you know how long he lets it ferment? I still have the batch I made up for the experiment last week. I could give that a go unless you think it needs to ferment for like a month of something.
@@annruel1982 he lets it ferment until there is a substantial layer of mold and then he sieves off the liquid - the colour was quite intense and he did not add any colorants
@@joyfulthings1 Hey Joy. Thanks for answering that. Very interesting. I was thinking though. He had to put some sort of metal colorant into the mix as I think all of the colorant created from organic materials like mold or tobacco leaves would simply fire out in the kiln. I wonder if the purpose of the fermenting would be so that the acid is stronger creating more of a larger sunburst, perhaps? Hmmm..... How large were his sunbursts and other reactions? Were they much different than the reactions I was getting?
At the 7 minute point the splay looks a lot like a predatory bird's head. Better than watching clouds.