I am glazing now, trying to get to fire all my tests. Because glazing is the part of the process that I am least comfortable with, least successful at and most dislike doing--I get there very slowly. My temptation is to rush through it all--just pour/paint/spray some glazes on the pots as quickly as I can and get everything into the kiln. But then I always regret it when I open the kiln! Of course!
Besides the little pagoda tests I have lots of test tiles I am eager to see. I am engaged in a glaze chemistry study that I am very excited about getting to do. I've wished for this opportunity for several years and tried to get a small group together to study glazes with and share the testing part of the process, but could not find anyone wanting to pursue the study with me. I have all the books, have read lots but it just has not worked till now. Now I have a programmed study and it is making all the difference! I am suddenly able to look at glazes in a totally new way. Suddenly what is in a glaze has some meaning for me. I have a load of tests related to that study and I am so eager to see what they will show me. I am almost more excited to see those tests than the little pagodas that are also going to tell me a lot--I hope!
For the pagodas I have 2 glazes to test, one pagoda has a rio slip bisqued on all over the other is plain, then I have two overglazes that I am testing over the two glazes. So the pagodas will look like patch-work quilts when fired--each side of each building will have a different variation on one of the two glazes!
So I am off to the studio to see what I can get done today before I fold up from the heat. We are having a terrible heat wave--over 100F everyday for a week. Perhaps we will get a bit of a break tomorrow with a little rain--fingers crossed. Our studio has a little air conditioner unit, which runs constantly when we are there (off when we are not) but it does not get the studio temperature much below 85F. It is great that it does that--but I wish it got a bit cooler!
4 comments:
Hi Gay, Excited to see how your tests come out. I really love the pagodas you have made. It's hot as blazes here too. I need to get my little AC unit up in the window. I'll check back in to see how things turn out.
Hi Gay, can't wait to see your pagoda, good luck with your glazing. It was 110 F here today, ugh, nd more all week here too, my little ac unit does about as much as yours.
Hi, friends, Thanks for dropping by! I did not get as much done today as I hoped--felt pretty discouraged when I quit at 4:00 pm wilted from the heat. But tomorrow is another day--and surely I will get everything glazed one of these days. I just had my air compressor repaired and am having trouple getting the right setting again. And trouble with the sprayer maybe because it has been so long since I used it. Anyway, hopefully, by the end of the day I have everything set up. We'll see how it goes tomorrow! Nice to have you on my team! Gay
Hi, friends, Thanks for dropping by! I did not get as much done today as I hoped--felt pretty discouraged when I quit at 4:00 pm wilted from the heat. But tomorrow is another day--and surely I will get everything glazed one of these days. I just had my air compressor repaired and am having trouple getting the right setting again. And trouble with the sprayer maybe because it has been so long since I used it. Anyway, hopefully, by the end of the day I have everything set up. We'll see how it goes tomorrow! Nice to have you on my team! Gay
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