cleaning-up, cleaning out

The new clay provokes all kinds of changes. I was cautioned that it needs to dry slowly--so right now I am waiting on the last few pieces to dry enough to go into the kiln for a bisque firing. I also must test all the glazes I've been working with again on this new clay--glazes react with the clay and react differently with different clays. Last night, in a flurry of activity I emptied out all the small batches of glaze tests I'v accumulated over the past couple of years.

Today I will wash out the containers and then I can start mixing up glaze tests using my cleaned out containers. Not only have I gotten rid of the old glazes (some so hard-panned in the bottom of the container that I thought I might not be able to dig it out) and have a whole stack of empty containers but I have also gained 2 empty shelves which I badly need! Lose some, gain some!

In the bisque firing I will have two pieces of special interest. Diana suggested that we could consider refiring pieces that aren't entirely satisfying using overglazes. Yesterday I painted a design on a piece that came out of the last glaze firing that was satisfactory but not very interesting. If the overglaze I used (bought 2 years ago) works I think I might be happy with this project:

And I have made a box and tiles for testing the new glazes.

The box and tiles will be in the bisque firing and then I will begin using them for testing the new glazes. The advantage is that the box/tile set-up will take less room in the glaze firing than individual tiles took.


I get the stitches removed from my hand tonight--so maybe soon I'll be back at the wheel.