Pottery Week 8: Finishing Up

This Saturday was our last pottery class for the session, but we will be coming back for the next session and continuing to learn new skills (slabs, glaze effects and perhaps throwing). The kilns had been loaded this week and we were excited to see the results of our first glazing efforts. Our reactions were a mixture of intrigued/appalled. Glazing is a real art in itself, and as a beginner there is no real way to start to understand it unless you play around with it.

D's little pinch pots turned out a nice turquoisy-blue, fairly even. The stripes around the rim have all but disappeared except for the fine black line around the opening. He is quite happy with these pots.

I was surprised by the colours my pots turned out to be - I had forgotten what I applied, and wasn't sure how it would look over top slip paints. They look pretty kindergarten-y, but that's OK (you try making pinch pots for the first time!)

Glazing lessons learned: Although applying too much glaze will result in ugly running, you have to be careful not to apply too little glaze either. See how the blue glaze is barely clinging on? That's too little glaze. D and I were worried about over-doing it, and were a little too light-handed. I think my favourites are the little green shell and the taller mini vase, although the vase could have used a thicker coating of white matte glaze.

My pear pot and first coil pot were bisque-fired this week, so I worked on glazing them today. D didn't get to do any glazing today since his pots were still on the greenware shelf. No photos of those, but I glazed the pear with a yellow-grey glaze that looks like a pale green. The stem was covered in iron oxide to give it a dark colour under the glaze. If the whole thing turns out, I'll tell you how I glazed it. The other pot was dipped in plum glaze with an opalescent colour sponged over top. D spent the rest of class finishing an angular bowl and creating a pitcher-type object using little square cut outs and slabs.

Other than pottery, we saw Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 at the Wexner Center on Friday night, which chronicles the making of a concert grand piano from wood selection all the way to final tuning. Really interesting stuff. Tonight we're going to a neighbour's place for dinner, which means I've got some vegan cupcakes to make this afternoon. Mmm.