More Finished Pieces : Sodium Silicate Vessels, Dragons and Marbled Items

Continuing on from my previous posts one, two, three and four of the finished items I've picked up from my Spring Ahead garden pottery course, here are some more pieces I was able to pick up yesterday :

The batch includes a few pieces finished in Shino, a hatching dragon, and a number of sodium silicate vessels.  I'll start with the sodium silicate ones, starting from small to large...

23) This little fella was thrown from WSO/sculptural clay, and then a mixture of black slip, texture slip, and sodium silicate was applied.  It is glazed inside and on the rim with Amber Celadon.  Then it was sprayed with Clear (after I waxed the Amber Celadon part, so it would stay that strong brown color).  It is interesting that the black slip ended up a very dark turquoise blue.  Quite pleasant, in my opinion.  The foot is trimmed in my signature double/triple rings.  I really like that foot.  The texture is very rough, but the glaze seals the piece, so it doesn't feel like the decoration will crumble off.  Quite pleasant all around.

24) This one was prepared in a similar manner, but stamped with stars before pushing it out.  It is glazed in White inside and on the rim and the bottom and on the stars, then sprayed Clear on the sides.

25) I just went and looked at this one again, since my notes indicate that is was sprayed Celadon all around (including inside).  Sure enough, there is a slight hint of a blue colour, but it almost looks like a Clear glaze.  Again, the black slip changed to a very pleasant dark turquoise.  This one features star stamps also, but it is more subtle, since I didn't highlight them.

26) This is the piece that started to slump as I was pushing it out, so I needed to hang it upside down to revive it.  So it is all the sweeter to see this piece completed successfully.  It was also sprayed in Celadon all around, very lightly.  I experimented with another multi-ring foot on this one, which I also enjoy very much.

27) This is a fun little piece.  It has alternating panels of bright Red (underglaze), and bright Red spots on a crackly background.  I highlighted the cracks with what was Forest Green, but it has since turned to a tan brown tone.  It is finished inside, on the rim, and on the foot (isn't that foot gorgeous?) with Amber Celadon, and then the glaze was waxed over, and I sprayed the sides Clear.  I really like the bright and light-hearted color combinations.

28) This one was thrown from H550 grey clay, covered in Turquoise slip, and stamped with my handmade spiral stamp.  It is glazed Amber Celadon inside, on the rim, and on the foot (again, isn't that a gorgeous effect?).  I then waxed over the Amber Celadon, and sprayed the sides with Celadon.  Very pretty color combination, in my opinion.

29) This is my largest sodium silicate piece, and probably my favorite.  It was thrown from 2600 g of H550 grey clay, and features the plum blossom stamps, and lots of crackle, which I highlighted with Forest Green stain.  I glazed the blossoms and rim and bottom edge with White glaze, and sprayed the sides Clear.  The only plain thing about it is the foot.  I don't remember why I just trimmed a plain foot.  It would look so much cooler with a multi-ringed one.

It is so beautiful, I think it deserves another photo:

I have in my notes that there are two more sodium silicate pieces out there.  One was the piece which is currently on student display, and the other must still be in the kiln, as I haven't seen it back yet.  Anyhow, continuing on with my other pieces.  These next few were thrown from recycled bits of P570 white, H550 grey, Williamette Yellow, and even some brownish clay (not sure what that was, maybe some slip mixed in).

30) This one is mostly the grey and white clays, with a bit of the brown near the top.  It cracked during bisque firing, radiating out from where the stamp was applied.  I glazed it anyhow, with Carbon Trap Shino, and the crack deepened, but didn't break all the way through.  So it is just a decorative accent.

31) This one is a mix of the grey, white, and lots of yellow clay.  It is sprayed Carbon Trap Shino.  I really like the rich color, the subtle but noticeable marbling, and that handsome foot.

32) This wonky bowl is also a mix of grey, white, and yellow clays.  It cracked slightly (not all the way through) in the bisque firing, and I sprayed it with Carbon Trap Shino.  Very nice.

33) This one was a mixture of the grey and white and a few spots of the brown clay (near the top).  It is glazed with Amber Celadon inside and on the rim, and then sprayed Clear on the outside.  The marbling is there, but a bit too subtle for me.  I do like the two smears of what appears to be a deep blue color, which seems to be the black or brown slip reacting to the Clear glaze.  That is a nice effect.

And finally, for now, a few little dragons :

34) This little dragon is formed from Little John clay, and is hatching from a P570 white clay egg.  I love the smooth feel of the white clay, so I left it unglazed.  He is accented with Forest Green eyes covered in Clear glaze, and touched up with Kingsmill stain.  He is wearing a little piece of eggshell on his head.  I'm so impressed that it stayed on.  This is a cute little piece.

35) This little dragon and his egg are both formed from Big White sculptural clay.  He is touched up with Red Iron Oxide, and his clays and spikes are glazed in Amber Celadon.  The cracks in the egg are highlighted with Black stain/underglaze.  He lost two toes while moving him to the greenware shelf, but I just stained and glazed those, and put them on a bit of clay wadding, and they are fine.  I'll just need to glue them back.

That's all for now.  My notes tell me that I still have that one piece on student display, and 7 more to pick up.  We'll see.  Stay tuned.