Twice a week we at ThirstyCats load the glaze kiln with bisqued-ware to which we’ve just applied glazes. Two days later we open the kiln and behold the transformation that 2300° F over a period of about 14 hours makes.
The image below shows unfired glazed pieces on the left, after firing on the right.
Truth be told, we never know for sure how any piece is going to come out of the glaze kiln, in part because of the dynamics of ceramics and all the variables that can affect it, and in part because we often experiment with underglazes, glazes and glaze combinations.
So its always a bit of a thrill for us to open the kiln whereupon we are often met with delightful surprises and sometimes with disapointments.
The Maple leaf, second row from the bottom of the image on the left, was sponged with several underglazes. How would it come out? Well, nicely, as it happened. On the otherhand, the underglaze that was used as a rub in the veins and outline of the leaves, bottom right, was disapointingly light. Not enough coats of underglaze.
