Martin Rice on sun 5 may 02
Hi, All:
Well, I told you all about my (successful) first-ever bisque firing. Now =
it's time to tell you about my first-ever glaze firing that took place =
today. You've heard of Varnishing Day at the Royal Academy? Well, this =
was Gazing Day at the Lunatic Asylum.
Yesterday I decided to apply glaze to my red earthenware clay (cone 06, =
generally on the hard side, shrinkage rate of 12% and absorption rate of =
20% -- this is classy stuff, but fine for practicing throwing and =
bisquing and glazing, or so I thought).
So I start applying glaze yesterday. First underglazes that I have in =
little jars -- pre-mixed commercial stuff. Had no idea what they would =
look like fired, so used a lot of different colors in mostly squiggles =
on the nine of the 18 ugly little pieces that that I've been using for =
these experiments.
Then the clear glaze. Mixed up something called Solomon's Clear Glaze =
(without adding any colors, of course). Got the recipe from Melinda. =
Liked it because I actually had all the stuff -- Gerstly Borate (5 lb =
bag that Ginny brought me), flint, and kaolin. So I'm mixing the stuff =
thinking, I've never seen this done, I don't have a clue about what I'm =
doing.
Instructions say "make it about the consistency of cream." What do I =
know from cream, I drink skim milk. So, every few minutes over to my =
wife: "Does this look like cream?" Nope, back again, back again, etc., =
etc. Finally got it to what we thought was probably cream consistency. =
(Refrain: So I'm mixing the stuff thinking, I've never seen this done, I =
don't have a clue about what I'm doing.) Beginning to hope that I took =
all my medications today.
But then it's a bit lumpy. So, into the kitchen to get our strainer. Run =
it through that a couple of times. Still lumpy -- really big mesh. "Hey, =
Robin, don't we have a sieve or strainer with a finer mesh?" And she =
gives me another strainer, extremely fine mesh, with a diameter of all =
of 2 inches! (Refrain: So I'm mixing the stuff thinking, I've never =
seen this done, I don't have a clue about what I'm doing.)
So back to the workplace. Can't pour into the strainer, too small. Spoon =
it in. Can't push it through with anything but my index finger. Spend =
what seems like hours getting it smooth -- actually, it was hours.
Now time to put on the glaze over the underglaze. Don't have enough =
glaze made to dip, so decide to brush (have loads of brushes). Realize =
that I don't have a clue about how to apply the glaze -- several coats? =
one coat? one direction"? multiple directions? how thick? Ah...I was =
told "approximately credit card thickness." So when the stuff's on, how =
do I know if it's credit card thick or not? (New Refrain: How am I going =
to do this? What am I doing? Why am I doing it? What's going to happen =
to my poor little ugly pieces?)
Then I see the stuff still has tiny little lumps in it, or is it some of =
the glaze drying on the brush and coming off when I brush on a newly =
charged brushful? Who knows? What happens if I leave some lumps on some =
pieces? Let's experiment: leave some lumpy and try to get some smooth; =
cover some pieces with heavy glaze, some with thin; leave some runs on =
some pieces, wipe them off on others. (New Refrain: How am I going to do =
this? What am I doing? Why am I doing it? What's going to happen to my =
poor little ugly pieces?)
Keep telling myself: don't worry, don't ask questions into the void, =
just do it. You'll find out tomorrow. But I'm just a little kid. I gotta =
ask questions.
The big morning comes. Up at 4:30 am (no, it wasn't only because I was =
excited about the glazing, I always get up then -- we go to bed and get =
up very early in the jungle). OK, my God, what about the ramp up? =
Agggghhhhh. Well, I know the ramp I used for the bisquing worked fine =
and I'm going to glaze to the same cone (06), but I heard that you could =
ramp up a lot quicker with glazing. Whoops, don't forget to put in the =
peep hole plugs. OK, did it -- didn't have to do that when I bisqued.
So 5 am...1/2 hr on low instead of two hours, 6am, 1 hr on medium =
instead of two hours, and then high until the cone slumps (no =
controller, no kiln sitter, no pyrometer here in the jungle -- at least =
not yet). 7 am -- all on high. And, it happened, the cone slumped at =
about 8:55. Seemed mighty fast to me. Got to let it cool. Take an hour =
drive to San Isidro to get some groceries. Hour there, hour back, it's =
noon. Put paper in the peep hole, doesn't burst into fire, but smolders. =
Wait another hour. Open it up, look inside --- OH MY GOD!! AGGGHHHHH! =
YUCK!
Nothing deformed, nothing slumped or melted, no glaze on the shelf. But =
what is this ugly stuff with palest underglazes, most of which I can't =
even tell the color of, and why is the "clear glaze" all white and milky =
and uneven and semi-matte, regardless of the method I used to apply it? =
More questions. Inside of one piece totally crazed -- but it's obvious =
that the glaze here is ten times thicker than anywhere else on the other =
pieces. Loads of pin holes everywhere. What is all that stuff I've been =
reading over the past several months on Clayart? Ramp up too fast, cool =
down to fast, or up and down too slow, or .... agggggggghhhh. Will have =
to spend months searching the archives......Next question: why do they =
let us inmates play with this stuff? We could hurt ourselves. Where's =
the orderly? Where's my afternoon meds?
Sitting at my work table looking at these things. Next question: how was =
I able to take these little abjectly-ugly objects and make them even =
uglier? Maybe they're not ugly, maybe they're beautiful. Perhaps I've =
succeeded in transferring the literary theory of "difficult beauty" to =
the realm of pottery. Maybe I'm the Dostoevsky of pottery? Nah...this =
stuff is hideous.
BUT WAIT! This stuff looks familiar. I've seen finishes like this =
before. In fact, there it is, hanging on my wall. The sconces that I had =
made at the pottery which uses only this clay and where I buy it. Take a =
closer look. Yes, the white stuff is all blotchy and barely covers the =
red which peeps though everywhere. The turquoise shows through well (and =
the only underglaze that showed through on my pieces were greens of =
varying hues). But theirs look as though they were planned this way, =
very rustic, exactly what I wanted for our rustic home.
Then I remember: at that huge pottery there's not a single functional =
piece (except some flower pots -- how the hell can they make flower pots =
out of clay with a 20% absorption rate?). And almost nothing is glazed =
other than some lights and a few other objects, and they're all in this =
style (STYLE???), blotchy white, some greens and turquoises and copper =
reds.
And the thing is, I thought the stuff wasn't bad looking -- I'm a sucker =
for rustic, Hispanic ceramics. Little did I know that this was the only =
way they could do this.
So that's it. A true learning experience for the inmates at Casa =
Pac=EDfica. But no more with this stuff. Now all my energy goes to =
finding out how to make a really good cone 2 or cone 3 clay. While =
working on that, I'll keep practicing my throwing, I guess, with my =
claybody from hell, but I know I can bisque now, so I can throw =
everything away from now on, don't need no stinking practice pieces no =
more, no more.
Best regards,
Martin
Lagunas de Bar=FA, Costa Rica
www.rice-family.org
Revised and updated 4/1/02
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