Flecks of emerald green, azure blue and sea-foam white merge to create a truly captivating surface. Recreate it using Abbots Celadon, Abbots Sandstone Sheen, and Abbots White Oilspot

Glaze layering system:  Abbots Celadon, Abbots Sandstone Sheen, & Abbots White Oilspot

What you’ll need: 

Here’s everything you’ll need for this project:

• Abbots Celadon Brushable Glaze
• Abbots Sandstone Sheen Brushable Glaze
• Abbots White Oilspot Brushable Glaze
• Abbots Universal Medium optional, but handy!
• A bisque-fired piece (bisque-fired means the clay has been through its first firing, making it porous enough to absorb glaze) 
  
• A soft brush 
• A sponge and water 
• Banding wheel, potter’s wheel, or lazy susan (optional) 
• Access to an electric kiln (firing to Cone 6)

Step-by-step

Step 1 ~ Apply 2 coats of Abbots Celadon

Apply Coat 1

First up, give your jar of Abbots Celadon a good shake! 
Using long, even brushstrokes, apply the first coat of Celadon to the entire piece (inside and outside).

Tip: If your brush feels like it’s dragging on the bisque, try adjusting a few spoons of glaze with a drop or two of Universal Medium in a small bowl before applying your first coat. You may find this allows you a little more time to blend your brushstrokes before they dry. 
Allow time for the coat to dry before applying the next one. 

Apply Coat 2

Apply the second coat of Celadon to both the inside and outside of your piece. 

If you used Universal Medium to adjust the first coat, try applying glaze directly from the jar for the second coat. 

Any glaze mixed with Universal Medium that’s left over can be slipped back in the glaze jar and mixed in, ready for next time.

Allow the second coat of Celadon to dry. 
Drying time for the first and second coats should be quite quick (30 seconds - 1 minute).

✨ Step 2 ~ Apply 2 coats of Abbots Sandstone Sheen

Apply Coat 1

We’re on to our second glaze!

As with our first glaze, give Abbots Sandstone Sheen a good shake before you start using it.

Once thoroughly mixed, apply the first coat of glaze to the inside and outside of the piece. 

Allow to dry before moving to the second coat. 

Apply Coat 2

Now it's time to apply the second coat of Sandstone Sheen. 

At this stage, you may want to steal a hairdryer from an unsuspecting family member to speed up drying between coats. Other household items that work just as well include heat guns, fans and under-desk heaters. 

✨ Step 3 ~ Apply 2 coats of Abbots White Oilspot

Apply Coat 1

Give Abbots White Oilspot a good shake. 

Allow the glaze to flow down your brush and onto your bisque as you apply the first coat. Again, you will be working on the entire piece (inside and outside).

Allow to dry before moving to the second, and final, coat. 

Tip: I’ve found White Oilspot to be a wonderful ‘top layer’ glaze. Like icing on a cake (or sauce on a sundae), White Oilspot adds depth and character to glazes underneath. 

Apply Coat 2

Once the first coat has dried, apply the final coat of White Oilspot.

Allow your piece to dry before firing. 

Step 4 ~ Firing 

Wipe any glaze drips from the underside of your piece before firing.

Fire to Cone 6 (~1200C) in an electric kiln. 

You can find a suggested firing schedule here. 

Tip: Don’t forget to wipe your glaze jars before putting the lids back on. This makes opening them so much easier next time (and avoids the quintessential avalanche of dried glaze on your bench).

✨ Notes & suggestions

Abbots Celadon, Sandstone Sheen, and White Oilspot make such a versatile layering system - they’ve become staples in my studio!

Other combinations that work beautifully include: 

1. Abbots Sandstone Sheen
2. Abbots White Oilspot

1. Abbots Celadon
2. Abbots White Oilspot

1. Abbots Sandstone Sheen
2. Abbots Celadon
3. Abbots White Oilspot
   

Join Abbots Glaze on socials!

For glaze process tutorials, tips and inspiration, join us on Instagram.

To connect with fellow Abbots Glaze enthusiasts and find inspiration for your next project, join the Abbots Glaze Lab Facebook group. 

About the author:

A self-confessed glaze nerd, Amy is a content creator for Abbots Glaze on a mission to get people excited about glazing! When she’s not making reels or testing new glaze recipes, you can find Amy making pots in her pottery studio, Palmerston North. You can follow Amy’s work on Instagram @fettlepotterynz