December 4 - Glazing and bisquing

Sunday I rushed to get my glazing done since the gas kiln was going to be loaded on Tuesday.  I had some crackled pots, a bumpy one, and I decided to test some new glaze combinations on my VSVs (Very Small Vessels).  I know I've said this before, but I am always amazed at how long it takes to get glazing done and I'm not even doing anything extravagant.  Part of the reason is that I am not 'in production' using the same two or three glazes on everything so there is a lot of mixing, applying, and cleaning up between each step.

Another thing that takes some time is the fact that I have to wait for the outside to dry after I glaze the inside.  The water from the glaze on the inside soaks the clay which would restrict the amount of glaze that would adhere to the outside if applied while the pot is wet.  This is a fairly new development for me as I am throwing thinner pots these days.  The crackled pots are especially thin since I stretch them to (and sometimes past) their limits from the inside after applying the slip.

As my friend and teacher Greg says, "If you're not crashing some pots you're not pushing your limits."

Amen, brother.

I also moved some dry bowls to the greenware shelf to be bisqued.

.