South Windsor High School senior Kerry Stephens has spent months over the summer, and school year, researching how to create her own glaze by studying the history of glazes used on ceramics.
Her research has included the composition of glaze, glaze calculations, and requirements for safety. These glazes are made up of many different raw materials.
The raw materials go in before the glaze melts and turns into an oxide. The raw materials must oxidize at 2100 degrees to meet the cone 5 oxidation process that we use at South Windsor High School. This is ceramic chemistry, which is a more complex version of what one typically learns in high school chemistry.
Stephens spent time researching the temperature materials melt, fuse, and vitrify with each other. She also spent time researching the process of different oxidations to give herself more background knowledge so that she wouldn’t limit herself in her understanding of the process.
After Stephens created her glaze plan, she had it checked by a recent graduate of Alfred University, Tiffany Nolan.
Stephens chose to create this project because ever since her sophomore year of high school she knew that she wanted to major in ceramics at the post-secondary level. During Stephens’ freshman year, she thought that she would want to major in painting or drawing, and only took pottery classes to have a range of experience for her future capstone project.
The reason that Stephens stayed in clay work and pottery classes is because of South Windsor High School’s pottery and clay work teacher of 25 years, Ms. Roxanne Lane. She describes Lane as an amusing mentor who shared insightful stories. Stephens formed a strong connection with Lane over the years and has gotten comfortable with the subjects Lane taught.
“I’ve seen her grow as a student and a potter,” Lane said.
But having such a big capstone project that was coming up weighed heavy on her summer schedule.
“I studied a lot over the summer. I would say maybe one to three hours 5 days a week,” Stephens said.
After struggling with high school chemistry, Stephens knew that she could step it up by studying the chemistry behind creating glazes. This was a major struggle for her because she didn’t have professors to turn to when facing rough patches through the process. Surprisingly though, Stephens stated that the hardest part of her capstone was the presenting part of it.
“Ms. Lane has inspired me to continue pottery. Her creating her glazes was inspiring,” Stephens said.
After High School, Stephens plans to be a fine art major with a concentration in ceramics.
