back from fire

I've got a long way to go to learn how to use glazes properly. I'm generally satisfied with my progress throwing, but I really need to take a glazing class. Back from the kiln, here are most of the items from the last post.

The 2nd large bowl for my bro; cool colors to contrast the warm colors on its sister:



cone 10 stoneware, 10"W x 4.25"H

And the larger of the two deep bowls:




I really wish I'd recorded what glaze I'd spattered on the inside of this one. I think it was black (considering the choices that were available, my tastes, and knowing at the time that the main glaze was Blue Satin Matte) but how odd that it came out chalky-white! Nor do I recall what I dripped onto the outer surface, while the bowl was upside-down. Could have been the same black but I vaguely recall trying wacky stuff just to see what it would look like. Could have been the red.

And here's the smaller deep bowl, with a lush red interior (I do like red glazes, and that made a nice contrast with the Oil Spot Black exterior):




This last turned out to be a rather wild experiment all around. It's the poorly-lidded jar of many colors:



Sadly, the green 2nd glaze on half the jar (same green as the large bowl above), which was applied over a full dip of Old Yellow, ran in the kiln and slumped onto the kiln shelf. I like the look of the lid, mostly for its easy curvature and bright blue color. Other than that...

I forgot about the Ouroboros bowl when I was picking up these pieces. But I must return once more anyway, to pick up the humos dip bowl; I just glazed that one in Old Yellow, with the interior of the inner bowl in Blue Satin Matte. I'll have to wait another week or so for that to be fired. Well, that's it for a while. I don't know when I will have the chance to throw anymore clay.....

The last batch

Sadly, my 10-week wheel class at Worcester Craft Center has come to a close. I have not signed up for the next session because my spring and summer schedule are uncertain and also due to the expense. They're fairly pricey at $340. But it does include unlimited access during open studio hours.

Well, here are the last few pieces, ready for firing, seen resting on the "ready" shelves in the cone 10 kiln room:

The larger bowl at the back is glazed in a green on the inside, with a central swirl of red (appropriately named "Pete's Copper Red", since this will be bro Pete's bowl); the outside surface is Blue Satin Matte, I think. (I have not been very good about updating my pottery journal--- I don't think I ever brought it to class!)



The foreground bowl shape was inspired by some bowls a friend of mine has in his kitchen--- narrow and deep, with comparatively narrow footings. A vaguely Asian design. This one has a wacky glaze job of, I think Blue Satin Matte exterior, with.... hell, I don't remember. But I spun a glaze-saturated brush to spatter the interior surface.... in Oil Spot Black? There is another bowl of this shape--- a little smaller, I think--- in this batch; I forgot to photograph it. That one has a red interior I think....

I call this next one the Ouroboros Bowl because I put in a rough circle of Oil Spot Black glaze on the interior bottom of the bowl. I think the overall glaze is Rutile Blue.



Below is a jar and its lid. Took three or four tries to get the lid right. And it really wasn't right anyway--- I had to scrape it down to fit by turning it around on the jar's seating surface while they were greenware. I'm not even sure the lid will fit on the jar when fired, because of the added thickness of the glaze. Funky glaze job, playing with wax resist patterns.



Finally, there is this integral dip platter. I like to think it's meant for humos and wedges of warm pita bread. This is greenware. I weighed and paid for it today and must return to glaze it after it has been bisque-fired.



And now the thrilling wait for the final results......!