Stunning Smokey Merlot and Seaweed over Power Turquoise by Martha Durand

Tall Mug in Seaweed over Power Turquoise

Martha Durand created this tall stoneware mug using a layered combination of AMACO Seaweed, AMACO Smokey Merlot and Laguna Power Turquoise. Fired to Cone 5, the surface develops deep mineral blues, dark ocean greens and flowing transitions where the glazes melt together along the walls of the form. The movement begins near the rim and slowly breaks into lighter turquoise pools toward the lower half of the mug, giving the piece the atmosphere of coastal water under evening light.

The clay body beneath the glaze remains quiet and supportive, allowing the layered surfaces to carry the visual weight of the piece. Laguna Power Turquoise forms the luminous base, while Smokey Merlot introduces darker vertical movement through the center of the mug. Seaweed softens the transitions and creates smoky blue-green variation around the upper section. On a tall cylindrical form like this, the Seaweed over Power Turquoise layering gains extra depth because gravity stretches the glazes during firing, producing long natural runs and soft overlaps across the surface.

This example of Seaweed over Power Turquoise glaze combination shows why layered commercial glazes remain popular among mid-fire ceramic artists. The combination feels fluid and geological without becoming chaotic. The surface changes constantly depending on light and viewing angle, moving from saturated teal to deep indigo and smoky black-green along the contours of the mug. Martha Durand’s Cone 5 firing demonstrates how carefully balanced glaze thickness and overlap can transform familiar commercial glazes into a surface that feels atmospheric, natural and deeply dimensional.

Glaze Combination

• Laguna Power Turquoise x2 overall
• AMACO Smokey Merlot x2 on upper section
• AMACO Seaweed x2 over Smokey Merlot
• Fired to Cone 5

Credit: Martha Durand