Painting & filling the stamped impressions with a dark tenmoku glaze, and then wiping off the high surfaces to reveal a great contrast for the stamped design. I kinda feel like The Karate Kid… glaze on, glaze off… glaze on, glaze off.

Still no working ceiling light fixture in my studio…
so glazing “in the dark” tonight ought to be interesting, huh?!!!

This week in my pottery class, I showed them some more interesting glaze techniques, tricks & possibilities… including everyone’s favorite novelty… BUBBLE GLAZING!!! Just a little dishwashing soap in your glaze and a plastic straw to get it going! And when the bubbles pop, you’ve got a pretty sweet glaze application!

And when the bubbles pop, you’ve got a pretty sweet glaze application!

So now the newest GHOULS are all underglazed and getting a sprayed-on top-coat of a low-fire clear glaze. Hoping that all of the painted colors will be brighter, saturated & whimsically colorful after firing!

Stacked, packed and ready for this weekend’s art fair in Glenview!
Join us this Saturday & Sunday for ART IN THE GARDEN..
it’s a great little grassroots art fair with some talented friends showing, playing
& collaborating together!

Click here to check us out at www.grassrootsartfair.com

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After this morning’s sunrise bike ride, I swung by the studio to unload one last kiln for this weekend’s ART IN THE GARDEN. And I was quite pleased with these large bowls. These green glazes worked perfectly with the stamping… pooling, breaking & running in all the right places! Can’t wait to show these off and to send a few off to good homes… maybe with a little add-on thanks to my “cohort in crime” Cory McCrory!!!

Looks pretty, right???

Well look closely…
I’m pretty sure you’re NOT supposed to be able to see THROUGH the bottom of a platter?!
I think I may have trimmed this one just a bit too close. It looked good after bisque, but it seems to have “opened up” during the glaze firing. Not so good.

After unloading my soda kiln, I also had a cone six glaze kiln to unload.
Lots of fun colors & patterns inside.

They’ll be making their big “debut” at ART IN THE GARDEN next weekend…
quite possibly with a little extra somethin’-somethin’…

So I did a LOT of glazing & wadding… and filled my rolling studio cart. I added a few bands of masking tape as “safety belts” so nothing shimmies off the cart while riding the rickety freight elevator. I love this cart that my Dad made for me years ago. When I have it filled with work, it pretty much equals a loaded soda kiln. Fill the cart, load the kiln.

So last night in my pottery class, we discussed some more advanced glazing options. Like layered combos, stains, oxides, wood ash, wax resist, etc. It’s a bit overwhelming when you start to see the infinite possibilities to finish your pieces. My students were tracking along pretty well, but questioning what the results might look like. Sure, we have some double-dipped combo test tiles, but it’s a LOT different on  a real piece.

So… I completely overwhelmed them when I brought out all of the combo glazed test cups we made last session with my students. A LOT of glaze information to take in. Some good. Some not so much. But great information & inspiration… even if it is all a bit overwhelming.