Test Tiles

We opened the kiln today - what a great firing! I wanted to take a photo before the kiln was unloaded but was visiting my father-in-law in the hospital and got to class early but after someone had unloaded the kiln. The witness Cone 11 was melted flat, so we were a bit hot, but the glazes turned out wonderful. I got home at 7 p.m. made dinner and showed all my fired pieces to my husband. Later I started to hang the test tiles temporarily on the wall so I could take a photo. Then I discovered glaze had filled the hole on two of the tiles. I started drilling the holes out and broke a drill bit, next one of the test tiles broke (I can epoxy it back together again).

Test tiles are all Rod's Mix stoneware clay. Here is my quick line up of the test tiles from from left to right, top row first. Masterson Orange, Celadon, Autumn Brown, Lyon Tan, Autumn Yellow, Aegean Blue, Tan Matte, Transparent, Jensen Red, AK Plum, Sun Valley, Artificial Salt, Tea Dust Black, Fake Ash, Speckled Gray, Non Iron Blue Celadon, and Green to Black Satin Matte. Tea Dust Black, Fake Ash, Non Iron Blue Celadon and Green to Black Satin Matt are Tom Coleman glazes.

Some of the test tiles are hard to see and would show up better if I had taken a photo of one test tile at a time. But for now these will have to do. Next I'll be posting a series of photos of the pieces I have glazed with each of the glazes from above. You will be better able to appreciate the glazes shown on a larger piece of ceramic. There are several promising glazes which I will be using in my next glaze firing.

Firing, Glazes & Ceramics Classmates

This semester I am learning more from my ceramics classmates than in previous years. Other years I was concentrating on developing my techniques working with clay. This year I am finding discussions with classmates is stimulating me to branch out into areas I might not have gone. Also I am looking at other students work to see what they are doing. With the greenware photo I took in the classroom, I noticed that one of the pots has a pencil drawing on it. When I get back to the classroom next week, I will be checking to see whose work this pot is so I can ask them how they plan on glazing the pot.


Unbeknownst to either of us, one classmate made test tiles and I did the same. We decided to compare our glazing notes and test tiles. Now another classmate has made up raku test tiles. On Monday, I will get my test tiles out of the kiln to see how the glazes turned out. Since I had a lot of pieces to fire I also tried some of the glazes on the pieces even though I have no idea what they will look like. At the college we only have so many firings for the semester, so I don't have the luxury of firing my test tiles to see how the glazes turn out before I glaze my work. If I waited I might not get all my glazed pieces fired. The turnaround time for bisque and glaze firings is also very short, so there isn't much time to get all my bisque glazed before the glaze firing. Yesterday I found myself looking at the kiln firing and wishing it was done so I could see all of my work.