Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Florida Clay Slip Fired Results


Feathery Fern Tile, Florida Clay Slip, Clear Satin Glaze



Serving Bowl, Florida Clay Slip, Clear Satin Glaze



Florida Fern Tile, Florida Clay Slip, Clear Satin Glaze



Florida Fern Tray, Florida Clay Slip, Clear Satin Glaze



Exterior Pinch Bowl, Florida Clay Slip, fired unglazed



Exterior Pinch Bowl, Florida Clay Slip, unglazed, second view


I absolutely love the red color of the fired but unglazed Florida clay slip. The fired clay with a satin glaze has lots of variation in color (I need to take some photos outside so you can see those colors) olive green, brown, even lavender. I have lots of ideas for using the Florida clay slip both glazed and unglazed. What I wonder is, can I grind this clay up to make it smoother? What can I use to grind the clay up? I think investing in some finer sieves would help too. What do you think? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Coming up more results from this firing; a patch job on bone dry clay - bisque is cooling - did it work? some great Florida mushroom photos; and a workshop. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

14 comments:

  1. Grinding it would probably require a ball mill.A sieve would take out the larger particles but it is a lot of work. You could thin it way down and float the fines away like terra Sig.Good Luck.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Dennis, thanks, I've heard of a ball mill, but never used one, I will look into that; maybe I could use something that grinds rock. On some of the clay I did thin it way down into terra sig, but it results in very small amounts remaining and I only have so much of the clay. I thought I could extend what I have by grinding it. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Patricia, thanks, that's Gary's favorite one too. I'd like to make that same feathery fern with the Florida slip and not glaze it, actually I'm thinking about a whole series of these fern tiles.

    ReplyDelete
  4. beautiful work. i really l like the serving bowl.
    as for grinding clay, like Dennis, I have only heard of using a ball mill.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Michele, thanks so much. I am wondering if I can use a jewelry tumbler. I was just reading about ball mills and they have either lead, steel, or ceramic balls inside which agitate to grind the material inside into a fine powder. I may see if I can get a small one at Harbor Freight. It would help with making any kind of slip or terra sig I think.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That serving bowl caught my eye this time. Just lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Patti, thanks, I think that was the one you liked when I showed it as a greenware piece, the swirls would have been reddish brown then.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love the Florida Fern Tray and the Serving Bowl. The colors are lovely. And I love the Burgundy Wine Flower in the former post too. Wasn't it difficult to create the wine color?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Charlene, thanks ever so much; seeing these ferns makes me want to make some more, Ha.

    Hi Sapphire, thanks so much. A slow cool helps keep the red color and I put the flower up on a stilt on the top shelf near the peep hole for good air circulation.

    ReplyDelete
  10. that top tile looks like stone- really nice Linda.
    M

    ReplyDelete
  11. These are all fab, but the serving bowl and feathery fern are my faves!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Meredith, thanks, it does look like a fossil to me too.

    Hi Marguerite, thanks, so glad you like them.

    ReplyDelete

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