Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to
Making crystalline-glazed porcelain pottery comes with a steep learning curve. The first time Marie Wright attempted the technique, she opened the kiln before it had cooled, and her hair caught
Making crystalline-glazed porcelain pottery comes with a steep learning curve. The first time Marie Wright attempted the technique, she opened the kiln before it had cooled, and her hair caught
With a background in chemistry and a penchant for experimentation, a potter in Chatham County mastered the challenging art of creating pieces that appear more like glass than clay.
Making crystalline-glazed porcelain pottery comes with a steep learning curve. The first time Marie Wright attempted the technique, she opened the kiln before it had cooled, and her hair caught fire.
When Wright first saw crystalline-glazed pieces during a pottery class, her teacher discouraged her from trying to replicate the look, explaining that it was too easy to fail. And it’s hard to find people who teach the skill because so few potters know how to do it themselves. But Wright had the right background to understand the science involved, having double-majored in biochemistry and molecular biology in college. Still, the process took a lot of trial and error.
Marie Wright makes pieces in her home studio, selling larger works at galleries and smaller ones via her Etsy shop. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
The result is worth the trouble, though. Wright’s pieces — cups, vases, dispensers for soap and olive oil, and more — are fired in the kiln at approximately 2,000 degrees for hours, which melts the glaze, forms crystal blooms, and freezes them in place. More than 20 years after that first hair-sizzling attempt, Wright left her biotechnology career to pursue her art full-time in Pittsboro. And even now, she never stops learning.
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