Today after several weeks of not being able to get to the studio (work and family commitments keeping me busy) I was able complete several projects. The two I am most pleased with are my scraffito box and my raku vases. After the box was bisque fired (the first firing before glazing, the finished product is like greenware) I decided I didn't want to change anything. Not add another glaze color. The project itself was so labor intensive that I felt if I added anything to it, I would probably ruin it. So we dipped it in a clear glaze only for the final firing.
As for the Raku vases, I am very excited. I haven't done this type of raku firing before other than a "naked" raku which I hated. It was so labor intensive and the finished product was, well.... awful. Not worth it. With these I painted the dry clay with a red terasidge (I'm sure that is not how you spell it and I don't even know exactly what it is other than some sort of pre-glaze) , then the pieces were bisque fires (high fire, cone 10). I glazed them with the Raku glaze Lustrous Copper and they turned out magnificently. The great thing is that I glazed them this morning and then the Raku firing was immediate so within an hour I had a finished project. Much better than waiting several weeks for the regular high firing which is about once every 3 weeks.
I also raku glazed a little pinch pot. I didn't have too much invested in this little pot. It was my first attempt and it was already cracked before it went through the raku firing. Nevertheless, the color is also awesome. Gold Burst.
I still have a several other projects to complete and it's time to start some new ones. I'll keep you posted
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