MRS DIANE S ZUBRICK on fri 4 oct 96
Sharon, I use some underglazes and am able to "once" fire my ware.
Therefore, I am putting on a clear glaze over raw underglaze and clay.
I have never had any problem with smearing. I always use a soft
large brush and fill it with the clear glaze. I float on the 1st
coat, never scrub. Try experimenting on a trial piece. If the
underglaze is on thickly, it could chip...but since it is watercolor,
there should be no problem.
On the "once" firing (bisque and glaze combined), I am able to fire
up very fast since most of my work is flat or slightly curved. I
also have a small kiln (18" hexagon). I put my work on top of a hot
kiln to dry out the clay. This will really make your work bone dry.
The clay will dry out from the heat until your kiln drops to around
600-700 F. The sun also works great! I believe this is the trick to
keep my work from cracking. I use earthenware.
As Corinne mentioned, she inherited a slow bisque routine from school.
I would never have tried the once firing, but I am into
experimenting and saving time since I always have a show deadline. I
always say to break the rules that we all learned from others and do
what works for your clay, glazes and situation. I have a econo-kiln
from L&L which is over 20 years old. I have been using it heavily
for 9 years with no broken elements, etc. I fire by pyrometer and
fire to 1950 F in 4 hours.
Carie, On the craft fairs - One of the best sources is "Sunshine
Artists" magazine. It has reports of shows by state by artists that
have participated in those shows. It also has listing of shows by
state in the back with addresses and deadlines. I believe that
"Crafts Report" also has listings. Both are now available in book
stores, but "Crafts Report" is harder to find around here. In Ohio,
there are 2 art show listing books that are available. Try your
State Art Council or see if there are any craft guilds in your state.
Also, we learn of "good" shows by word of mouth. Go to a good
quality show in your state and ask the artists who have similar work
to yours, what are their top shows or what would they recommend.
Decide if you want to do outdoor or indoor shows for many of the
people that you meet indoors ONLY do indoor shows. I do both.
Pottery is a really crowded category in most art shows. To get into
the top shows, your pottery has to stand out in the slides. Some top
shows will be sending show applications out soon, most are due from
Dec. - March. So now is the time to investigate.
Diane Schwob Zubrick
Applecreek Pottery
Centerville, Ohio - where our first frost is due tonight!
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