Glazing with my thoughts as we go
It's always such a fulfilling feeling to see ceramic pieces transform with a beautiful glaze! If you, like me, are fascinated by how raw clay turns into stunning, functional art, let me share a bit more about what goes into creating 'glazeware.' Many people ask, 'what is glazeware?' Simply put, it refers to ceramic items that have been coated with a glassy, often colorful, layer of glaze and then fired at high temperatures. This process not only adds artistic beauty but also makes the piece durable, waterproof, and food-safe, depending on the glaze. My own 'glaze process' often starts with careful preparation. As mentioned in my recent session, the pieces are already 'waxed and wiped down' before any color goes on. This is crucial for ensuring the glaze adheres properly and doesn't stick to areas I want to remain unglazed, such as the foot of a mug. Then comes the exciting part: adding color! For my recent collaboration mugs, I was 'adding 3 oxides for color.' Oxides are metallic compounds that, when fired, react with the glaze to produce vibrant and unique hues. It's a bit like chemistry meets art, and the results can be truly magical. For these specific pieces, especially the ones with intricate carvings from a recent collaboration where my brother carved the mugs, I wanted a 'transparent glaze to clearly see the oxides/designs.' This choice was deliberate because I wanted those beautiful carvings to 'shine' through. A transparent glaze allows the texture and underlying colors to be the stars, providing 'depth to the carvings' that an opaque glaze might obscure. I've been experimenting with a 'new glaze @my studio,' hoping it would achieve just that, and seeing it come to life on red clay has been particularly satisfying. I also really 'liked how this glaze looked on red clay' – the natural warmth of the clay body often enhances the glaze's final appearance. While the query about 'ground glaze and cover glaze compositions in self-cleaning ceramic products' is quite technical, it highlights the vast and complex world of glazes. In simpler terms, glazes come in countless formulas, each designed for specific firing temperatures, effects, and applications. Some are designed for decorative finishes, others for high durability. My focus here was on a beautiful, functional finish for pieces like the many mugs we had 'this time around' due to the collaboration (my brother works in the coffee industry, so it was fitting!). It's not just mugs, though! During this marathon session, I was also 'glazing an ashtray..., a planter, and a bowl.' The versatility of ceramics means you can apply these techniques to almost anything. Sometimes, despite all the care, you might encounter a 'missed a spot' moment – it happens to the best of us! The beauty of ceramics is often in embracing these imperfections or learning from them for the next session. This entire process, from start to finish, can be quite a time commitment – my last session took '1.5 hrs later' just for the application part! It's important to distinguish traditional glazeware, which undergoes a high-temperature firing process, from 'cold finish ceramics.' Cold finishes typically involve paints, sealants, or epoxy resins applied to ceramic pieces after they've been fired (or even un-fired clay), and they don't involve the vitrification process that makes true glaze so durable and glass-like. While cold finishes can be beautiful for decorative items, they generally don't offer the same level of permanence, heat resistance, or food safety as true glazes. This distinction is key when understanding the different ways ceramic pieces can be finished. Creating glazeware is a journey of patience, creativity, and a touch of scientific understanding, resulting in beautiful pieces that can last for generations.
