Janettes mug

Terracotta



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Test firing results

This is Keanes red and brown clays with my c1 and cescos mid fired clear






I have to get the names of these ones from TAFE again


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Notes on MQF

I didn't have much luck with this clay but I did fire it to cone 6 not 5 as recommended. The problem started way before firing through. It was a stiff clay to throw with. Although when I added stain it was softer but then a little to soft...

I rolled a slab one side white the other MQF with stain and when I made a bowl they just cracked when drying











The pink never got past drying.

The blue had heaps of cracks but I bisqued it for testing anyway. It fell apart in the glaze firing.










I also threw some with some stain











These stayed together although I didn't enjoy the throwing process they fired up well at cone 6 with my c1 test glaze and cesco mid fired











Also Finally - never ever add stain to clay unless you actually like the clay - now I have two 1kg batches of stained clay - stain isn't cheap!! and I don't like the clay. I am looking into making something small - ie some jewellery with it... such a disappointment!!

Test bowl

I really like this test bowl for my non fnctional project.

It is 5B with two TAFE stoneware glazes fired to cone 6

Wall piece

This one is intended for a wall near our spa. Its going to be thrown and altered. Keanes 5B with stoneware glazes fired to cone 6.

Origami bowls

These origami bowls are made using slump moulds. I've been trialling different ways of making them including combined slay slabs terracotta on the side and white on the other. These ones are my favourite but are splitting during firing the two clays are not compatible.

First I worked on the bowl shapes.

Early bowl tests

Early bowl tests

Test glazes on Keanes red terracotta

The red terracotta is really nice at cone 6 so I have kept that and started working with engobes. I am now trying to inlay a pattern then put the white engobe on top.

Unfired keanes red terracotta

Raw MQF and stained MQF

Mid fire clear glaze development

First test came up ok

Line blend to make more matt - nothing all to interesting came out of it though...

C1 glaze and Cesco mid fire clear on Keanes terracotta combined with MQF

This was underfired probably to about cone 4 and the Cescos glaze was put on too thick

C1 glaze and Cesco mid fire clear on Keanes terracotta combined with MQF

I love the colort of the terracotta for this one and am still using it. The bowl split though with the MQF the terracotta was combined with.

Midfire clay results

I am trying to make a midfire clay hopefully I can end up with one white and one dark. From there I hope to develop a casting slip.

Bisque

Raw

white clay with Cescos mid fired clear

Clay with flashing and Cescos mid fired clear

Dark terracotta that split before bisque with Cescos mid fired clear

Update of TAFE projects for this year

I haven't been posting too much for the past 4 months and after a big Christmas break I have been busy!!

This year I am focusing only on midfire cone 6 firings.

I am developing:

1. Midfire clay
2. glear glaze and hopefully some others (a glaze that is funcitonal at cone 6 and 10 would be handy!)
3. Origami bowls using drape mould and engobes or a light and day clay (these are terracotta)
4. a wall hanging for outdoors

Photos of each project to follow!!