Wednesday, July 8, 2009
I have been busy working in my basement studio preparing bisqued pieces to take to a Red Deer College Summer Art Series course on cone 6 glazes that I have been anxiously anticipating. I purchased a used gas kiln that I haven't had the courage to fire yet and have quite a bit of work stockpiled for the day when I can confidently brave the kiln with my kiln goddess at my side! Until then I have been using mainly cone 6 stoneware with the odd piece in porcelain or high fire stoneware in anticipation of eventually achieving that lovely cone 10 look. I have been using Ravenscrag slip with 20% Ferro Frit and oxides added in, which offers a somewhat limited pallette of colors and textures. This course offers the promise of rich, colorful glazes which can be fired to cone 6, as well as a week spent among people who also have a passion for creating items of beauty from lumps of mud..I can't wait!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I love the name! It's perfect. :) Beautiful panel by the way. I have it in a place of honour: hanging in my front window where it's been admired by the few who have seen it.
ReplyDeleteSo for those of us non-potters... what does cone 6, cone 10 etc mean?
Cone 6 & 10 are just temps the kiln needs to reach in order to vitrify the clay into a glass-like state. Cone 10 is over 2000 degrees and is used for porcelain and high fire stoneware. You have to use a gas kiln for that as it will burn out the elements on an electric kiln. I'm using my electric right now so can only fire to cone 6. After that little kernel of knowledge there are all kinds of firing techniques and conditions that can give a multitude of effects. I just posted some jewellry bowls as it took me a while to figure out how to get more than 1 photo up :< )
ReplyDelete