Here they are! About 20 cups, glazed, but not yet fired. It really surprised me, how long it took to glaze these pieces. It took such time because no two are alike. Some have underglazes, oxcides, and washes. some pieces have a surface texture. Some pieces have designs using a wax resist. I spent a whole Sunday on these pieces before you.
All the glazes were mixed by the USC ceramic department, so for most of these pieces I was just experimenting with the glazes on hand, unsure of the color and character of the each glaze. Two of the glazes I mixed myself, my first experimentation with glaze recipes. All glazes and pieces were fired in the Bailey (gas) kiln to cone 10. It was reduction fired, which means the amount of oxygen in the kiln was reduced. The amount of oxygen in the kiln effects the coloration of the glazes.
I can't decide the best way to display these cups for the blog. I have developed a spreadsheet to document each of the cups: images of the bisque-fired and finished piece, the glaze, clay, texture, firing technique, ect. I can't decide whether to duplicate all that information here... but maybe I will just post the finished piece? It is hard not to elaborate on each piece's successes and failures, what I intended and then evaluating the outcome.
Until I can decide this post serves as a progress report. Its midpoint in the semester and I have thrown 60 cups, and they exist in various stages: wet pieces needing handles or surface texture, greenware waiting to be bisqued, or glazed bisqueware waiting to be fired. I've decided to create 100 cups this semester as well, not just 75. At some point I need to find one form I like and replicate it 10 times or so. Overall I'm learning a ton and really enjoying the experimentation.
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