maiolica jars

[morgaina]

The smaller one turned out quite well.
The Strutto jar is OK, but I think I will fire it again. I want better than OK.

You know, scribes, illuminators, and so many other artists complete something and it's done, no kilns that must be served and bowed down to.

Comments

[hroar.livejournal.com]

but we can go back an change things...we can repeat things..once their ink goes on paper, for good or ill, tehy are commited to not being able to alter that line, etc. We have more freedom. (thats my story and Im sticking with it! 8-))

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but we can go back an change things...we can repeat things..once their ink goes on paper, for good or ill, tehy are commited to not being able to alter that line, etc. We have more freedom. (thats my story and Im sticking with it! 8-)) <hey, gotta have a little fun!>

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

My point is they can do a beautiful job and it will stay beautiful, it is within their control. We can do a beautiful job and it still depends upon the firing. It might be acceptable, a racer, or a dog.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

No offense to my companion.

[hroar.livejournal.com]

But their beauty can stil be transitory..what is considered beautioful now, might not in 20 years..And that is , of course, a judgement call.
And that is true of our work too.
Not everthing they do is a racer either. They have their share of dogs..(you should see the painting attempts by one of my pottery apprrentices..tehy have a long ways to go.)
Yes, we do depend on our kilns...and things can be variable, depending on how much we can control and how much we turn over to teh kiln..
Did you have a bad experience lately?

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

Rather than someone view of beauty now or in 20 years, I think a greater concern is how the individual feels about their accomplishment. If a scribe feels wonderful about how a scroll turned out, that moment right there is their high point. We potters can feel like we did a wonderful job, but the whims of the kiln first makes us wait on the final outcome, then if it turns out well, *that* is the high point, or possibly the low point.
The kiln makes or breaks it (only sometimes literally).
I have never had *all* the pots in any kiln load come out the way I hope. If I'm lucky, some will, but not so far have all of them.
Throwing and surface decoration are pretty much within control, firing is only somewhat under control.

[hroar.livejournal.com]

Ah! I see...(sometimes I can be rather dense..sorry)
Ive not had all pots come out wonderful either.
I guess its just th e nature of what we do..part of our process.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

Plus I am always trying something new, and, often it doesn't work. And I mix all my own glazes & you know how clays minerals can vary from bag to bag.

[hroar.livejournal.com]

yeah, I agree...so often new glazes dont sem to work.
After 30 years, I have tended to settle on one base, with color varations. Over the past year or so, it has been intersting to see the mxes between my glazes and teh commercial ones; to see how they interact.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I should have used a different example. I was in particular thinking about my friends in the modern Palouse Women Artist's group. The painters and sculptors there finish their work and don't have to depend on a kiln or other piece of equipment to complete it.
I have had a number of artists tell me that is why they don't do pottery, they don't like to have to depend upon the whims of the kiln.

[doll-paparazzi.livejournal.com]

What do you use for your maiolica? Or have we talked about this before? I am on a quest for a good base coat that doesn't have pinholing problems.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

I do both cone 6 and cone 04 maiolica.
For the cone 6 I use the "Mastering Cone Six Glazes" by Roy & Hesselbreth. It is a great glaze, well designed. No pinholing or other problems, it has to be fired exactly at cone 6 though, as is true of most MC6 glazes.
I use Siebert recipe for maiolica for cone 04. I'm having some pinholing with that :-(
So strange, I did two jars, both thrown at the same time, bisqued at the same time, glazed at the same time with the exact same maiolica base (Siebert) and overglaze; then sat them right next to each other in the kiln when they were fired. One pitted, the other didn't.

Phenomenally annoying!

[doll-paparazzi.livejournal.com]

I have a lot of problems finding the right maiolica. Someone told me to fire my bisque higher, like a cone 02 or 03 because the pinholes is supposedly gas that is still escaping. I've tried that but I still have that problem.

I have the Seibert one and have tried it. I pour and the glaze has to be PERFECTLY even or else it looks phenomically like crapola. So, I have an airbrush now, which I haven't used. All this for STUPID maiolica. Yes, I am really angry over the amount of time and energy over 12 years (on and off) I have put into this ONE technique. Most SCA people have told me to just use commerical glazes, and I have refused... I just want to find a period way. You're the first person that at least mixes their own glaze. What colorants are you using? I've used stains with starch in them... per Seibert recommendation (I think). Websites... what did I do without them, I'll never know. Oh that's right, I read 40 year old books and cursed a lot.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

Sorry you've had so much frustration. Maiolica is frustrating because of all the ruination. That's why it's always been so expensive. If mine gets screwed up, I try re-glazing one time, then if it still doesn't work I either glaze it with a regular glaze or it gets the hammer.

I've been painting on the maiolica base. I made some brushes, they are thick and pretty nice. There is some unevenness in application but I do my best to smooth it out with my fingers. Lots of dust which probably is bad to breathe.
For the overglazes I do use a number of commercial glazes and I haven't been picky about the brand name, some maiolica artists recommend a particular brand. But it's the base glaze that is always the problem, not the overglazes.
The overglazes I do make are 1/2 base glaze with oxides added. Sometimes more parts base and less oxide if I want a light blue or aqua. I have also used a couple of mason stains rather than the oxide. Some oxides, as you know, act as a flux.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

Y'do kind of get obsessed with the technique though.