I didn’t get as far as firing this past week. It’s just as well considering the heat and humidity we’ve been experiencing. Mornings were relatively cool. That was my time to work. Most days the studio was too stifling to be in by early afternoon.
I started the week by mixing a new batch of casting slip. Sand contamination continues to be an issue. Sieving the slip before using is critical. Random grains of sand would spoil the surface of the porcelain.
Glazing the covered forms is a much slower process than the open forms. It’s easier if I wax the inside lip. It was awkward brushing the glaze on the interiors. So awkward that I had to rethink that step. Mixed a batch of the black liner glaze without the media yesterday. Poured the interiors for the remaining jars. Much simpler though slightly more wasteful.
I continue to mix up a litre of glaze at a time. With all the ingredients in easy reach, as well as digital scale and a blender, the process goes very quickly.
Here’s tip I learned as a teenager. If you line the brush you are using with a little dish soap before applying wax resist, it cleans up easily afterwards. Works for liquid latex too.
I should be finished glazing by tomorrow. Once I have, I will be getting back to slip casting. I have ideas for new glaze combinations but I’ll need to generate some forms to try them on first.
The weather is supposed to cool down later this week. That’s when I will start firing.
