What if I tried … ?

This recent batch of bisqueware paralyzed me. My knowledge of glazing paralyzed me. There were so many options that I could try, now that I don’t have orders for specific designs. What should I make? It was the equivalent of a writer’s block. Glazing block?

This is bisqueware, the in-between stage of clay when it is porous enough for the glaze to be applied. This stage is hard because there are so many options and ways to mess things up. I stared at the blanks for a week. And then asked myself a question, what if I tried … ? The question set me free. I stopped thinking about the outcome and started enjoying the process, I tapped into the glazing flow. With porcelain, it is always trial and error, forever. And that is actually how I approach my life in general. And I learn so much in the process.

The true color comes out when the kiln temperature reaches 2300*F. After 20 years of working with the same glazes, I pretty much know what each color will do, and there are always surprises in each firing. I am playing and experimenting with layering my glazes, and the resulting combinations are unexpected. Which is so fun! It is a true partnership between me and porcelain. By letting go, I am taking my art to a new level.