Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Biggest Crack Ever


Sometimes my glazing experiments turn out as I want them to. I made this porcelain bowl with a heavy texture and brushed RIO on the surface in the green state. Then I glazed it with the same glaze as the two green goblets on the right side of the blog. I got this turquoise and golden surface which I just love, like golden shimmers in the sea. I have four of these bowls and one large bowl to match. Below is what the bowl looked like with the RIO brushed on.


While I was applying the RIO I was wondering how to get consistent results on the surface. One of the small bowls is slightly darker than the rest due to a darker RIO application. How do you apply stains to your work? Do you brush it on, use a sponge, spray it on, what do you think if best. I brushed this stain on but I think a sponge might have given a more even color to each of the four plates I did.


I consider this sushi plate a success; it is really spectacular in person. The texture has little dots which are slightly darker blue. This is the plate I used painter's tape as a resist and then applied a different color glaze in the painter's tape masked section. There is pin spot on the middle left hand side of the plate which resisted the glaze. It is food save as the glaze did cover it, but the white of the clay shows through. I remember glazing this plate and having a terrible time with one spot. Every once in a while there is a little spot of clay that will not accept glaze no matter what you do to get it to adhere. I don't use wax so that can't be the problem. Must be some impurity in the clay which resists glaze. Does this ever happen to you?


Meanwhile I have been working on my photography skills with a mini tripod, and have determined I need a floor tripod because I can't get far enough away from the work. I got some brooder lamps with fluorescent bulbs and then regular bulbs and then found out I could photo my sushi plate on the kitchen floor without the cube or lighting to show the true color of the plate much better. Just know I am working improving the photos.


Here's a large platter with the biggest crack I've ever had, truly something to behold. This platter is stoneware and yet, this sailfish is porcelain, go figure. Perhaps the rim all the way around helps dissipate the heat during firing and cooling.


I may be scarce the next few days since I'm almost out of mega bites for the month. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

12 comments:

  1. fabulous wavy bowl (first picture)!!!!
    i can't help you with mason stain applications... i have never used them. interested in reading what others have to say.

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  2. Hey Linda,

    That green/Rio bowl is fantastic! how did you fire it?
    I never get my Rio to do that! It stays sort of brownish... red :-)
    So far I have only used Rio as a wash, I'll be trying out other oxides as well someday...
    I have always put the Rio on after the bisque fire, maybe that's the answer to my question?
    I usually sponge it on, leave it to dry and the take a clean sponge and clean water and wipe some of it of again. That way it gets this 'old' look.

    Grtz,
    monique

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  3. Hi Michele, thanks, three and the serving bowl are the same and the fourth with a heavier RIO is darker. It has some really nice golden tones and I am thinking where there was no RIO created some flashing for the gold tones. I am happy with this - of course it was procelain clay which does wonderful things for glazes.

    Hi Monique, thanks, yes I applied the RIO to the greenware and then the glaze. It was a lighter application for this bowl, I should have posted the darker one so folks could see the difference in application and what it does to the glaze. More about this in later posts as I think experimentation and note taking are the key to consistently creating appealing glazes. All of these are electric fired to Cone 5 in oxidation.

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  4. Hi Linda...beautiful plate with the rio.. I usually rub it in with a damp sponge or brush it on and sponge off. The colour is super on the greenish plate.

    Yes, the crack is the pits!! I spent a whole day or more on a little pinch bowl last week, even burnishing it, and it had the nerve to crack while drying..ha!
    You are inspiring to keep on with the hand building! thank you!
    T.

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  5. Hi Trish, thanks, I love the hand building and I oon't throw worth beans anyway, don't even have a wheel. For the pinch bowl if it is too thick in the bottom it may crack, they must be dried slowly. If I have on a board, I move it around on the board so the board will soak up some of the moisture from the bottom and I keep it loosely covered on the top.

    Hi 陳曉薇陳曉薇 - said:

    Like to see our article, each is a story, is a kind of mood ~ ~ I wish you all happy happy

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  6. Holy Moses! I love that second one - nice job!

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  7. Hi Ben, thanks, that plate is really quite spectacular in person, I can't wait to make more and try the masking glaze technique on other pieces.

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  8. Love the first bowl, just gorgeous! Your work is so amazing! Have a great weekend!

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  9. Hi Marguerite, thanks ever so much, hope you have a great weekendc too, don't party too much. Ha.

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  10. Gosh, that sushi piece really is gorgeous, colors and all. Hope you make more of those! I wonder what the bottom of it looks like. Neat form.

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  11. Hello Linda
    WOW! Those three pieces are incredibly beautiful!! "golden shimmers in the sea" That's right!
    The green is very chic! The third sushi plate's colors are really lovely and I love the piece! Sushi's white rice would look very nice on it! Looking forward to seeing more of your artworks! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  12. Hi Amy, thanks, the plate is virtually flat on the bottom, undulating, but not glazed. I was looking at it today and wondering if I could put a glaze on the bottom or at least some slip to make it darker rather than the white of the clay. I am researching that as I really like the shape and style of this plate.

    Hi Sapphire, thanks, white rice would indeed look good on the plate, I need to take photos with food on the plates more often. Thanks again.

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I love suggestions, questions, critiques, thanks for your comment