Process

These glaze tests form part of Making With Place, an ongoing research project investigating how locally sourced materials can shape contemporary ceramics. Using line blends and systematic testing, I explore combinations of local clay, beach sand and a variety of locally collected ashes. Including: seaweed, log burner, heather, sauna and other natural ash sources to understand how each material influences colour, texture and surface.

Every test isolates a single variable, allowing the relationship between geology, landscape and glaze chemistry to emerge through making. Rather than searching for one perfect recipe, this process builds a growing material atlas of the Yorkshire coast, where each test tile records the unique character of a place and contributes to a deeper understanding of how local ingredients can become contemporary ceramic glazes.