Lili Krakowski on mon 27 sep 10
Terry wrote:
"I love to throw but my glazing skills are well non-existent really. I was
taught to leave the bottom of the lid unglazed so that it could sit flat on
the
kiln shelf and not stick ... does [this thread]
mean that I can glaze both the lid and pot, fire them together with the
wadding in between and they won't stick to each either?"
Terri called hers a silly question, which it isn't at all. It is a ver=
y
real question illustrating what I--and several others--continually moan
about: that unqualified folk, with scant knowledge, set themselves up as
teachers of pottery--spreading ignorance and contempt for our craft.
Terri: you got advice from the best about sticky lids...wadding etc.
You're set.
But re: glazing skills. They do not show up overnight.
Glazing is a real skill. It is not the tail end of forming a pot. It is a=
n
independent skill...Yes, related to the shaping of clay and so on, but
remaining a separate skill. Just as house painting is a separate skill from
carpentry...
The whole "process" of pottery can be, often is, traditionally has been,
subdivided. There are those who dig and "prepare" clay, those who form
pots , bricks or whatever, those who make the glazes, those who apply them=
,
those who fire. In these times--in which, for better or worse, we
live--most potters "accept" this division of labor. Some do mix their own
clay bodies, build their own kilns, and so on. By and large this is neithe=
r
feasible nor desirable for the average potter. Most of us use ready mixed
clay, buy our kilns, etc. Which does NOT MEAN these "other skills" are
mere bagatelles.
So. Whether you learn to make your own glazes or not is a separate issue
from applying the glaze to the pot.
And the only way to master glaze application is through practice.
Now: select a few dishes from your cabinets--No, dear, NOT your heirloom
Good China--just some ordinary plates and bowls from your cabinets, or
thrift shop. Mix up a dishpan full of nice warm water and suds, and dip
your pots in there, or pour the water into and over them, one by one.
FOCUS! This is how I hold the cup to pour the water in, twirl, pour out.
Same with plates. Dip, pour, dip, pour. FOCUS. This is what my hands do.
This is how I hold a plate, and this is how I hold a bowl. This is the
movement my hands make with a cup, and these are the moves for a
casserole....
When the movements have become semi-automatic, make up a bucket of slip.
Just plain old kaolin , or ball clay, and water. Tint your slip with some
bluing or a small amount of food coloring. (This will help you identify
drips, overlaps and such.) Select a dozen or so bisque pots in various
shapes and sizes. Not your best pots. but the the expendable, cracked or
chipped ones. Depending what method of applying glaze you want to learn
that day, practice, practice, practice. After you have glazed all your
"ware", rinse the bisque off in a bucket of water, set the bisque aside to
dry, let the slip settle, remove excess water, and when the slip has
returned to the right consistency, start the exercise all over again. You
should be able to apply glaze with the ease with which you washed the
dishes.
Do not get impatient. Applying glaze is a skill. It is not mastered
overnight. Each method has its own kinks, that you need to iron out.
(I was great at pouring and dipping. Now am learning to apply glaze with a
brush, as my hands and fingers have become very contrary.)
And guess what? Soon you will have those "glazing skills".
.
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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