After more than a year off from keeping up the sailor's blog, I feel an urge to write again. Yes, I do post on FB every now and then, but always feel confined at the same time too open. Kind of like afraid of talking too loud, too long in a big party. Here in my own space, I feel free to go deeper. Since you're pulling, instead of me pushing the bites. Yes, that's how I feel.
Yes, it's empty bowls project time again. After 9 years I think I might have come up with some "short cuts" to make as many bowls, as quickly, as least firing, as humanly possible, and which is totally different than what I normally do with clay.
For years (ever since I met Steven Hill, who is famous in single fire his stoneware/ porcelain), I would like to "Single Fire" these earthenware empty bowls with majolica and underglaze/ clear glaze, but usually encounter poor glaze fit / pinhole. Also, it means I have to glaze greenware. I don't want to spray, it's fine as long as I pour glaze inside first, let it dry, then dip outside. I lost one when I try to dip the whole bowl in the bucket, as I got too brave toward the end. Beware that cleaning out broken greenware from a glaze bucket could be problematic. The greatest achievement for the new year to me is managed to bisque a 4" thick solid sculpture in the same firing with good glaze fit and no pinhole. If you're still reading, you surely love clay.
We always heard that there's no short cut in clay. I cannot agree more. I went a long way to find these short cuts.
