Last week I posted about the class that I took on Glass Clay. The first batch I fired according to directions. But I forgot to take out the pieces and left them in the kiln over night. The result was that the pieces had a glossy look to them they looked great! But it was not what I intended. By leaving the pieces in the kiln over night it continued to heat the piece till glossy because the kiln retained the heat and didn’t cool down fast enough.
This time I fired the pieces with a shorter cycle (not according to directions) I figured that that if I shortened the cycle to 10 minutes instead of the prescribed 20 that I could then leave the pieces in the kiln over night. I figured that if 20 minutes according to directions to get a matte look then 10 minutes might be ok as long as I left the pieces in the kiln. The kiln took around 10 minutes to start cooling down, the end result would be the full 20 minutes with the bonus of being able to leave the pieces in the kiln and not get up at 4:00 am to crash cool etc. (I usually fire things at night)
For the most part, it seemed to work! These pieces are much more matte than the others. I guess next time I will follow the directions precisely! You’ll see the true colors of the fired bug and other pieces. Here are the rest of the pieces we made. The second and third pics are the before and after I fired it. You’ll notice the Buddha that is sitting upright in the middle. I TOTALLY forgot that he needed some support, soooo he is a little um… relaxed. The Reclining Buddha maybe (sorry just had to say it) Anyhow I should have support it with a fibre blanket to prevent the slumping. I’ll remember next time. All in all it’s glass clay is totally fun! I can’t wait to see what else I can make with it.
Very cool! The glossy ones remind me of really old stone carved amulets. They have that look of age, but the polish of being handled frequently over many many years. I think it’s a SUPER cool accident!
I know Wanaree, too many things to explore… so little time!
Very cool! The glossy ones remind me of really old stone carved amulets. They have that look of age, but the polish of being handled frequently over many many years. I think it’s a SUPER cool accident!
I know Wanaree, too many things to explore… so little time!
What put me off are the muddy colours….The blues are the best.
What put me off are the muddy colours….The blues are the best.
thanks for sharing Patrik, some of them look like pate de verre – but without the hard process of making it! Will have to give it a go
Yes It’s definitely worth a try!
thanks for sharing Patrik, some of them look like pate de verre – but without the hard process of making it! Will have to give it a go
Yes It’s definitely worth a try!