The closed forms were fired over the weekend. The temperature was just what I wanted in the bottom of the kiln but slightly hot in the top. There was some degree of surface variation within each colour combination depending on where it was placed in the kiln. The feet and connecting points still need to be sanded. Once everything is nice and smooth, I’ll be putting them out for sale at the Stoneware Gallery. Hopefully by next weekend.
I’ve been thinking about where I would like to take the glazes next as I have been slip casting more of the open forms. It’s time to expand on some promising tests I fired months ago. Colour combinations without black as the carrier glaze for the cratering additive. I am certain this will open up many new possibilities.
The batch of slip is casting differently than the previous one. I wanted the walls a little thicker for the open forms so I increased the casting time from thirty to thirty three minutes. The walls more than doubled in thickness with only a ten percent increase in time. While this result was not what I was expecting, I like the way they look and feel. The extra weight both visually and literally gives them a more sculptural quality. Extra caution will need to be taken in the firing. These walls may push the limits of the porcelain body.
Slip casting for at least another week. Thinking about possible glaze combinations. Making notes as I go. Sanding and pricing in between.
