Friday, May 16, 2014

Unexpected Results from the Kiln Gods

When I got to Helen Arts Center yesterday no one was there so I unloaded the glaze and part of the bisque kilns. After firing sometimes the slip colors are lighter than when they are applied to the greenware or after the bisque. This time they're darker. I used a clear glaze over the top of the slip colors. I love unexpected results from the kiln gods.

This turquoise slip in this wall tile also fired more vibrant than I expected but I like it. I do love the color of turquoise and brown together. There are a few brown speckles in the color since I used the speckled stoneware clay to make the tile. I used a clear glaze over the slip colors. I'll hang this tile in my own home testing the integrated hanging system on the reverse to see how it performs. I plan to  make more wall tiles in the future hopefully some of them much larger, we'll see how they do..

This rustic basket glaze worked the way I hoped. All of these photos are taken on our front deck railing; the sun may have been too bright and made the foreground too dark.

This lantern was a prototype; I have several revisions for the next one. The top and sides are removable so a candle can be placed in the interior. I've got to get a candle and take a photo at night to see how it looks. Stay tuned for a few more results coming up soon; it was raining yesterday when I was getting the pots out of my car. On the way to the Helen Arts Center yesterday I saw a box turtle crossing the road. On the way back I saw a beaver crossing the road. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

7 comments:

  1. Those pieces turned out very well. Let's see what the candle light looks like at night.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Gigi, thanks, will try to get a candle today so I can take a photo tonight.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love the lantern! Can't wait to see where you go with that design.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Michele, thanks, the lid needs to be larger and need to figure out a way for it to sit better on the top, hope to get the kinks worked out. I can see these sitting on patio table tops and hope to make larger ones for out in the garden.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Linda, I have a question for you. Do you prefer to use colored slip to underglaze? And why? I know that it's more economical to use colored slip (or that's what I've been told), but are there other reasons?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Rian, thanks, I do prefer the colored slips, to me it's less expensive in the long run and I seem to get better colors with only one coat than I do with the underglazes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looking forward to seeing the lantern with its candle. And a tad envious about your beaver and turtle.

    ReplyDelete

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