Friday, January 18, 2013

Once Fired

These are some of the bag pots that I made for my own use.  I once fired these using Spectrum commercial white glazes and my own mixed mason stains.  I've decided I don't really like doing once firing.  The glazes are fine......they could be a little thicker, but I can live with that.  I'm not happy with my clay bodies when they don't go through two firings.  Even though i bisque and glaze at pretty much to same temperatures there is something about the second glaze firing that gives the clay an added feel.  It's difficult to verbalize, but it's something I can feel when I pick the pots up.



Once firing is not something I do a lot.  Every once in a while I give it a try.  I do have some success with a white earth body (I have no idea what it is, just that it's low fire.) using underglazes and a Spectrum Clear glaze.  I only do it on some of my small whistles though.

Majolica, for me, is a lot about the feel of brush on surface.  Bisqued clay is a far more pleasant experience for me.

Corinne at Sparkle Days Studio has a terrific quote today.  Do small things with great love.  I like the idea of small things adding up to big things.  The small thing I do (not necessarily with great love) is try always to be polite and cheerful in shops, even the ones I don't particularly enjoy going into....Walmart comes to mind.......we all need to make a living after all!

Bright sun today and 24 F; it's hard to remember that on Monday, Jan. 14, it was 60 + in the sun.  It's supposed to be down in the teens tonight!

Right now I feel like, "Okay!  Christmas is over and winter should be done too!"  NOT a fan!

Have a productive and/or lazy week end.

As always, thanks for stopping by................*s*

4 comments:

  1. I would be afraid of breaking the piece while painting it if it wasn't bisque fired!

    It's about 40 degrees here today, and to think we were out in short sleeves on the weekend. Like you, I am not a fan of winter.

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  2. I love the bag look. They look soft and sturdy at the same time.

    Sunshine today but cold. Still better than the 4 days of rain we had this week.

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  3. I love those bag pots, they look so happy planted like you have them. I am not sure what you mean about the once firing being different but the only pieces I once fired were only underglaze painted and no glaze as I wanted them to look more like a painting. we've had blustery weather here with rain yesterday, supposed to get colder next week for a day or two.

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  4. Hi Michele...I've broken many an unfired piece while working on them. Yet another reason......

    Hi Lori....I build them without a form; sometimes they collapse like wet paper!

    Hi Linda.....Thanks. I think it's something to do with the way the glaze is absorbed into raw clay.

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