Quick
progress update on my project: I have begun firing the pieces!! WOO HOO!! I am
on FIRE!! J
The first
piece to undergo the first of two firings (bisque fire) was the Autism piece. I
am extremely happy to say that it made it out of the kiln beautifully! I did have my worries about it making it
through the firing process though. For
example, the Autism piece had some surface cracks in the inside that can
potentially turn into piece-destroying cracks when fired. The cracks can sometimes expand further
during firing and cause a piece to fall apart or make an unwanted crack that
opens the entire thickness of the piece-leaving you with an unsightly mess!
Continuing
with the ‘crack’ subject (clay separation, not illegal drugs) haha; a crack is
typically formed by uneven rates during the drying process of the clay. Which brings me to my next worry…
When I began
the firing process of the Autism piece, I was disheartened to find that my
Gynecological piece has suffered a similar crack during her drying time L Unfortunately, the crack that has
developed is on the outside surface.
What to do?! For now, I will attempt to fire her and see if the crack
progresses. If the crack does NOT progress,
I should be able to apply a bisque mending paste to fill the crack and bring
the surface back to a finished state. However,
if the crack progresses, it could cause a complete collapse of the entire
piece. If this happens, I get to start over. :/
Ah! The joys
of being an artist! J
On a
brighter note, I checked the entire surface (inside & out) of the
Testicular piece and I have found no cracks! WOO HOO!!
Just to give
you a little insight on the firing processes of ceramics-A clay piece needs to
be fired at least twice (typically). The first fire is called bisque fire and
it essentially removes any remaining moisture from the clay body and gives some
strength to the piece so that it can be handled more easily. Bisque firing also
prepares the piece for ‘glazing.’ Glazing is a type of ‘painting’ on the surface
of clay. Glazes are (in essence) highly specific formulations of clay bodies
that include colorant chemicals among others (I will not bog you down with the
others at this time) to produce certain colors, flow and pattern results on the
clay’s surface after the final firing of a piece. I can
get into the art of glazes quite a bit more but I want you to continue to read
this blog without totally feeling lost J The final firing is the glaze fire
and it adds more strength, colors and makes the piece more vitreous. Pieces can
be fired more than two times depending on desired results. (but I can go into
that later, if requested)
I have also
included some updated photos that have size referencing in them for each
piece. I hope this makes it easier for
you to visualize the pieces J
Until next
time, enjoy the photos and feel free to leave a comment or question J
Don’t forget
to feed the fishies!
