Project Process & purpose

A family friend of mine noticed a lot of my pottery pieces that I had. She requested I make a set of soap dishes for her home and I accepted happily. Using reclaim clay, clay made from all of the scrap clay in the studio from the week, I threw three ridged shallow dishes a little over three inches in diameter. I let them dry until they were a consistency called ‘leather hard’ which is a firm clay texture perfect for trimming the bottom of pieces, exactly what I did. After, the piece had been put in the kiln to be fired or cooked at a high temperature, this first firing is called a bisque firing.

I sent a photo of the glaze combinations available at the studio I go to, to the family friend. She selected the color she wanted, and I dipped each piece in glaze, creating a layer of smooth unfired glass chemical mix. In the kiln for the ‘glaze firing’ the glaze reacts to the heat and turns into a dazzling light teal color, as well as becoming shiny and food safe.

With the pieces completed I wrapped them nicely to be shipped to the family friend and sent along a freebie as well. One of the miniature pots I had also thrown on the wheel alongside the pieces.