A few months ago I decided to make my own grog. I started by drying out some of my red and black clays then crushed and sieved them into different particle sizes. After bisque firing the crushed pieces I mixed them back into fresh clay and made a series of small tests.
Visually the grogs from both clays behaved quite similarly once mixed in. At first I thought the red grog had completely melted away but after the second firing I could still spot both the red and black particles—though only if I looked closely. Especially under a thin layer of transparent glaze, it was hard to distinguish them in the final pieces.
Texture-wise the grog size made a noticeable difference on the surface feel but in terms of color or contrast the results weren’t as striking as I had expected. I used fairly high grog ratios but I enjoy pushing materials a bit and seeing what happens when control gives way to play.
These kinds of small tests often start spontaneously in the studio, but end up leading to more serious thoughts. I’ll keep experimenting with different ratios and glazes to better understand how the material responds.
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