We're talking about glaze this month so
I thought I would talk about something very basic. What is glaze
exactly? Glaze can be defined as any material or combination of
materials that will melt and fuse permanently to the surface of a
clay body. How does it work you may ask? Well, materials are
suspended in water and applied to a bisqueware piece in its liquid
form. Glaze needs to be applied to bisqueware because bisque-fired
clay is very dry and porous. When the glaze is applied the porous
clay absorbs the water leaving behind a deposit of the previously
suspended materials. Then in the kiln these materials melt down at
high temperatures and form a glass-like surface.
Now, let's go back in time 4,000 years.
(Don't worry, my time machine WILL fit all of you.) It was probably
the ancient Egyptians that brought us our first glazed-like pieces. They brought
us so many things like pyramids and beer, why not glaze too? China
also experimented with materials applied to clay to make a shiny,
finished surface. Even the Greeks found techniques to making pots
shiny and beautiful to look at. Every culture approached it
differently based on the materials they found in their region.
So coming back from our trip through
time; how has glaze developed since 2000 B.C.E.? Mostly through
experimentation and testing. This is also known as trial and error, folks. (It's what I've been preaching!) I don't want to sound like a broken record, but testing your glazes
is extremely important in discovering what works and what doesn't.
If you'd like to keep up with glaze techniques please check out our
YouTube where all of August (and maybe September) we're talking about
glazing.
Some books to look at about glazing:
http://www.theceramicshop.com/store/product/2804/The-Ceramic-Glaze-Handbook/
http://www.theceramicshop.com/store/product/10339/The-Ceramic-Spectrum-Book/