Glazed Over
I have been spending most of my time in the studio these past two weeks glazing my pots. I've felt more like a painter than a potter. But paints and glazes are very different. Paints, first of all, are up front about their color, while most stains and glazes are far from being "WYSIWYG", or "what you see is what you get." Also, brushing onto clay is difficult because it is rough and textured from throw lines made on the wheel. Also, the thrown pots are round and not flat like a canvas which can warp your intentions. It takes practice and patience to glaze a pot satisfactorily.
I have been experimenting with combining my stains and seeing how they contrast with each other and the glazes I have. The walnut against the mulberry, the clear against the black; it is like Christmas every time I go down to open up the kiln. And sometimes it is more like the year my parents were especially low on funds - a big let down. The twilight blue glaze is hit or miss. I've tried to combine it with a cobalt glaze I have, and it ended up dripping all over the shelf. I've had glazes cover and hide the stains underneath.
I am working on fixing these problems by taking notes of what I have done on each piece. Depending on how I apply the glaze, (I can brush it on or dip them), how many coats, and its consistency, I end up with quite a range of results. This is tedious work but has proven to be worthwhile. I have been able to fine tune some of my techniques and am happier with the latest pots.
I have been spending most of my time in the studio these past two weeks glazing my pots. I've felt more like a painter than a potter. But paints and glazes are very different. Paints, first of all, are up front about their color, while most stains and glazes are far from being "WYSIWYG", or "what you see is what you get." Also, brushing onto clay is difficult because it is rough and textured from throw lines made on the wheel. Also, the thrown pots are round and not flat like a canvas which can warp your intentions. It takes practice and patience to glaze a pot satisfactorily. 
I have been experimenting with combining my stains and seeing how they contrast with each other and the glazes I have. The walnut against the mulberry, the clear against the black; it is like Christmas every time I go down to open up the kiln. And sometimes it is more like the year my parents were especially low on funds - a big let down. The twilight blue glaze is hit or miss. I've tried to combine it with a cobalt glaze I have, and it ended up dripping all over the shelf. I've had glazes cover and hide the stains underneath.
I am working on fixing these problems by taking notes of what I have done on each piece. Depending on how I apply the glaze, (I can brush it on or dip them), how many coats, and its consistency, I end up with quite a range of results. This is tedious work but has proven to be worthwhile. I have been able to fine tune some of my techniques and am happier with the latest pots.
