[bciskepottery]

I volunteered a lot of time loading/unloading kilns at the studio I take classes and teach. One of the benefits was the opportunity to see other potter's work . . . both newbies and experienced . . . and how their glazing turned out. To me, it was well worth the time invested as I learned a lot about what combinations worked and which ones were disasters in the making, which applications were too thick, too thin, etc. I've heard squeals of excitement when someone gets their work back; I've heard the disappoint, too.

The comment I heard most in the glaze room was how much people liked making pottery, but hated glazing it . . . mostly because they were not happy with the results. As an instructor, I believe we spend far more time working with students on making pots, but very little time on glazing. Most of the other instructors I shared that observation with agreed. Some students are willing to put in the time; others seem less interested. It shows in the results. I've often though that studios should offer a class on glazing . . . no class throwing or hand-building, you bring the bisque to the class and each week you learn/try a different glaze technique. Wares are fired between classes and critiqued at the next session. Repeat cycle for 8 weeks.

There is a lot of trial and error in matching glazes to different size and shaped wares and different clay bodies. Transparent, opaque, glossy, matte, etc. were all terms and effects that were confusing to me at the beginning. With time I was able to figure out which ones to apply to particular forms and surfaces and clay bodies. Some items I make are glazed with only one particular glaze . . . both match. Others, well, sometimes you get it and sometimes your best intentions don't work out. But you learn and move forward.

[GEP]

In my classroom we use the term "glazephobia" and it is fairly common. Bisque ware piles up on some potters' shelves because they are avoiding the disappointment of glazing it. We have the good fortune, and the handicap, of having several dozen nice glazes. This can impede someone learning how to glaze, because they are using too many glazes. When someone has a serious glazephobia probelm, I tell them to choose their two favorite glazes, and stop using anything else. I get so much resistance to this idea! I think there is a component of glazephobia that says "I don't know what I want." The students who are the best glazers, the ones who take to it naturally and don't struggle with glazephobia, are the ones who have a clear vision of what they are trying to achieve. All of their testing has a goal. They are not trying random glazes and glaze combinations, hoping to stumble upon something they like. I have also seen students become good glazers over time. It coincides with their growing confidence as potters, and the ability to judge themselves.

In my studio at home, where I produce my professional line, I use only four glazes, and two of them are almost the same. My students sometimes ask "but don't you get bored?" and I say "no it's all I want."

yedrow, you seem to have very clear ideas of what you don't like, and some pretty clear, but somewhat less developed, ideas of what you do want. Making your glazes thinner sounds like the correct next step. Buy or make a hydrometer, so you can test that in a meaningful way. I agree that testing is the right answer. But don't test in a wandering fashion, decide what you want first.

Mea

[Pres]

bciskepottery, on 13 May 2012 - 09:21 AM, said:

When the going gets tough, the tough turn to David Hendley. http://www.youtube.c...h?v=A6CQouI-OMA

My gosh I hate/love you tube. I went to the song by David Hendley and laughed so hard-all of the same questions I had to answer when doing shows. Once that was done I watched another vid in the side port, and that led to another and before you knew it I was into one on zentangles! Good thing I had to take the wife out for Mother's Day, or I would have wasted many hours looking at videos. At least you reminded me why I don't go there often.

[SmartsyArtsy]

GMosko: your pots are lovely. Glazing was always great fun until lately. I am making pieces very different fron what I have done in the past. I need a light wash of colour over the base glaze ( like watercolours ) and have tried applying stains in water, stains in a very dependable clear mat, stains in a liner base. When using the glazes, they are thinned with water.

The issue I have is that the brushing pulls off the base glaze. Perhaps it is the type of brush-- the wash is over small sculptured flowers and slightly beyond them, like a quick impressionate swipe. Any tips from anyone?

[smokin pots]

I loved watching the video, and like you , spent the next hour watching many more. Happy moms day to me!
Yedrow, I too am a huge fan of your pots. I, too, love your handles. I know your are a very experienced
potter and not some newby. I would come to a workshop of yours on how to make such beautiful handles.
Maybe you might think about joining me for a workshop on glazing somewhere out there in the USA. I look
all the time. John Britt has one every so often, but so far away, but Im saving my cash. I am teasing about
you joining me, but maybe a work shop is a great way to get your creative brain back on track.
I admire your work, and feel your pain. I'm a newby,: you are a potter in a small slump. I wish you well.
juli

[yedrow]

oops

[yedrow]

Thank you for your kind words Juli!

Mea,

I have a hydrometer. My problem with it is that viscosity effects the results. I'm getting through issues with viscosity though and I will use it next firing. I'm weighing the glaze (100ml) for specific gravity at present and I've made a type of viscometer out of a round bottom 1 cup, measuring cup. I'm also re-re-re-reading Pinnel's paper on flocculation as well as well as the section in Hammer's. I'm slowly getting my head around the 'feel' a glaze should have when it is ready to go on a pot. At work the glazes have been tested over decades. But in my home shop its a whole new game.

The first pic is of a shallow bowl with Hesselberth's Waterfall Brown. I got this glaze to work after remixing it (I abused the first batch with HCl). It came out right. The second is Zamek's Floating Blue. I can't seem to make it blue. It came out wrong. I'm using a high iron body so I'm guessing the iron doesn't like the cobalt oxide. I'm sure I can sell the Waterfall Brown. I think I can sell the FB, even if its Floating Grey. Unfortunately neither makes my stuff work. A highly sellable glaze, in my experience, will likely reduce the value of a well made piece. As you mentioned, I think I need to work in thin, matte, and solid color glazes. I'm thinking I need to save the rutile for later.

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[Clay Pigeon Pottery]

I've also found glazing to be the most frustrating aspect of pottery. Not only do I lose sleep over each piece as it gets glaze-fired, but I've also hated the entire glazing process since I took my first class in 1972.

However, I have recently started spraying my glazes, and I loathe it less. I've had only two loads of sprayed glazes so far, but I really like the results. I decided to start spraying after two years of working on larger pieces that were too big to dip----so they all had overlaps. I know some people find that esthetically pleasing, but I'm not one of them. That became worse after I started adding detailed surface embellishment that got obliterated by the glaze overlap and ruined all the work I had put into the careful layout of the design.

For my "spray booth", I bought a big plastic box and a cheap turntable, got a hand-me-down compressor and started experimenting. My husband was kind and clever enough to set me up with a way to suck out overspray using my Shop-Vac. It didn't cost a lot, and I'm a lot happier with the results. Years ago I did some air-brushing on low-fire work, and I'm getting back into doing that on my current pieces.

It's only taken me 40 years, but I'm finally finding my own style!

[OffCenter]

Clay Pigeon Pottery, on 14 May 2012 - 12:59 PM, said:

I've also found glazing to be the most frustrating aspect of pottery. Not only do I lose sleep over each piece as it gets glaze-fired, but I've also hated the entire glazing process since I took my first class in 1972.

However, I have recently started spraying my glazes, and I loathe it less. I've had only two loads of sprayed glazes so far, but I really like the results. I decided to start spraying after two years of working on larger pieces that were too big to dip----so they all had overlaps. I know some people find that esthetically pleasing, but I'm not one of them. That became worse after I started adding detailed surface embellishment that got obliterated by the glaze overlap and ruined all the work I had put into the careful layout of the design.

For my "spray booth", I bought a big plastic box and a cheap turntable, got a hand-me-down compressor and started experimenting. My husband was kind and clever enough to set me up with a way to suck out overspray using my Shop-Vac. It didn't cost a lot, and I'm a lot happier with the results. Years ago I did some air-brushing on low-fire work, and I'm getting back into doing that on my current pieces.

It's only taken me 40 years, but I'm finally finding my own style!

As John Baymore would say, "BINGO!!!!"

This potter's big breakthrough came not through testing but through taking a new approach to glazing. That is the point I've been making in previous posts. Testing is important but it's not the only or even the best solution to being in a rut with glazing.

Jim

[yedrow]

This is a piece I sprayed. It's a 14" dia. parabolic bowl, about 3" or 4" tall. I like spraying but it doesn't fit real well with production work like mugs and such. I'm going to be using spraying techniques to layer glazes, but that will take tons of experience to perfect.






This lidded bowl is an attempt to layer glazes. Both of you are right, changes in perspective are needed.

[Mark C.]

I think glazing your work or say working with glaze is such a separate process than working with clay itself. Both take lots of time to refine. I like Offcenters forget about standards thinking let it fly often works for me- spraying is to slow for production work. I dip with tongs and usea glaze jet on interiors and brush and squirt with bulbs. My pots now can haveup to 5 or 6, glazes on each piece including smaller things like mugs.

That’s my style and ones glaze style does come with time. I worked early years with stoneware (15 years) then switched to porcelain, whichmakes glazes more vivid looking in color. I check my thickness before glazingon glaze day in each bucket with hydrometer and my taste for colors has changed over the years .I now glaze what others want to buy more than what I want orlike as its my living to sell the work. I learned long ago there is now accountingfor taste. What I think is butt ugly someone will love. I like brown and more folks like the blues so I gave up only offering browns long ago. I am known for lots of colors and size choices of everything-variety is the spice of life they say. Your own style and ease with glazes will come with time. I think of mastering clay as throwing-step one

Glazing step two- kiln building and firing stepthree-selling step 4. I have missed a few steps as well but that’s enough for most production potters to get up to speed.

Working with glazes is the best tool to master them. Remember if its was easy everybody would be doing it.

Mark

[neilestrick]

Don't feel like the glaze is the only way to decorate a pot. With textures in the clay itself, you may only need one glaze to make it pop.

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[yedrow]

I dig the surface on that pot Neil.

[neilestrick]

yedrow, on 15 May 2012 - 07:56 AM, said:

I dig the surface on that pot Neil.

Thanks! The design is etched. I use plain old wax resist on slightly-drier-than leather hard, but some people use shellac on bone dry pots. I'm not a big fan of drenching my bone dry pots with water, though. Too much chance of cracking. The glaze is Boji Blue, named after Lake Okoboji in Iowa, where my in-laws have a lake cottage. When I get it applied thick enough it looks like water. Took me about 3 years to get the formula just right...

[Chris Campbell]

"Took me about 3 years to get the formula just right"

.... And oh boy!! Did you ever get that glaze right!

[neilestrick]

Chris Campbell, on 15 May 2012 - 01:36 PM, said:

"Took me about 3 years to get the formula just right"

.... And oh boy!! Did you ever get that glaze right!

Thank you!

[SmartsyArtsy]

Neil, Stunning sink! or, as I first keyed...

your sink is studding!

Your are so right about not needing to decorate with glaze when you design for texture. Not only is that my preference, but it also makes for a much fresher and modern piece.

[Scout]

Very interesting! I have found if I concentrate on the clay first, and feel the excitement of that, and then turn my attention and excitement to glazing as a separate art, and then think about the firing, I can do each step with more enthusiasm. I do make little oval shapes of the clays I'm using and glaze each one with the different glazes I use and label the back. I put a hole in each one and put them on a leather string identified as the clay type. I have necklaces of all the clays I use, with the glazes I use on them. New glaze or clay... new pieces on the necklaces. One type clay per necklace, with a variety of glazes on the pieces.

Wow that was hard to explain, I hope you can understand it.

One more thing... if this is a job to you and not an artistic journey... you are already missing the boat! Scout