Progress, winter quarter, 2012

Progress, winter quarter, 2012, Week 4

Yipes, already week four and nothing in the Bisque Kiln (except for some spinning whorls/test biscuits.  Above are four cups that I wanted to get started.  I"m trying some new surface treatments.  These are Porcelain and I plan to glaze them before the end of the quarter

Here is a hasty photo of a couple more cups and a T-pot I'm finishing up.  

One thing that has slowed me down this quarter is experimenting with slips and stains so I can improve the surface treatment on my clay drums.  I have been trying to find a good basic slip that I can use as a base white and which I can also add black and red stains to get typical Casas Grandes polychrome surface treatment.  I have focused on Gerstley Borate, Ball Clay, and a few other glaze chemicals from the clay bins in the shop.  Here are two pictures of my tests:

and

Think how much better this drum (below) will look with something over the dakota bisque surface.  This drum was a failure due to the small sound hole, and David Blink recommended making the hole larger.  As it's hard to make a fired clay hole bigger, I just cut out one of the two drum heads.  I use the old sound hole to mount a drum carrying strap. 

I also am getting 6 small pieces ready for the raku firing.  I haven't really dedicated much effort to Raku over the past couple of years, but I got some good feedback on some of my raku porclean with contrasting white-over glaze, and want to make a set of this "White/black" ware and see if it creates any interest.  Here are the pieces I'm preparing by pre-firing them in the test kiln.  I economize by firing a raku piece with text biscuits.  

And finally, Here is a "found piece" that has a novel glaze covering. I don't remember making this bowl, it must have ended up on my shelf by accident? 

Perhaps the bottom of this bowl holds a key to the mystery? 

 For the rest of the quarter I plan to complete four of the smaller Dakota jars and treat the exterior with slips and stains (white, black, red).  I want to finish two t-pots this quarter, improve my cups and bowls, and make a couple of large bowls that I call "presentation bowls"  I would like to make one drum or large jar, but there may not be time as I am retired and don't have much time.  

Next post (#4), I will contrast Porcelain to Earthenware clay bodies to construct hand built forms.