Glaze Mixing Combinations and Kiln Firings

I would like to introduce some of my new fall colors here very soon...

But first, here is a bit of background of how I use commercial glazes to mix them to get special color combinations...

Above is the first step: line blending of 5 glazes.

Basically you take a test tile (this one is a 4" square) with my CS texture in my Porcelain Clay.

And you run each glaze vertically down the tile, then horizontally across.

About 2-3 coats of each glaze in each direction.

Fire in kiln to maturing temperature, let cool, then take notes on which combinations have potential for use...

NOTE: Horizontal vs Vertical positioning of tile will give different glaze results due to glaze movement down the tile and interaction with texture. Use this to your advantage!

Here I've got my test tile, my notes, measuring cups, marked for even ratios of glazes (I use water to fill and measure each one), rubber gloves, sharpie marker, and of course: glazes.

Here I've used my Sharpie to mark the cups with the glaze codes I'm mixing, then I make up a code of my own: such as 1A, 1B, 1C, etc and take notes. You can see in the picture above how some glazes just sit in layers.

So you've got to mix them up thoroughly...

Make sure to wipe excess glaze off into it's container, then clean your brush thoroughly.

NOTE: if you constantly wash your glaze brush off in your sink, you are going to clog your sink. So I recommend a cup of water to rinse your brushes in. Then in a day or two after the water has separated from the heavier glaze particles, you can slowly pour off the water, and let the glaze particles dry, then dispose of properly (I've got a friend that uses the dried glaze for a liner glaze, so it doesn't go to waste). These glazes all fire to the same temperature range!!!

So here are all my new glazes waiting to be put onto pendants to see how they interact with my textures and being fired on a vertical surface (see kiln loaded pictures below).

I work in batches. One glaze and a bunch of pendants. And small plastic food container cups (not ever used for food in my studio) to sort the pieces for each glaze.

Above is how I like to work - paint the front of the pieces with multiple coats - work according to shape and size, then flip over and glaze the backs. I then clean out each bead hole and go back to touch it up. So it is important to keep the pieces grouped within their glaze group until they are absolutely ready for the kiln.

This glazing part is where I can zone out for hours...

I think I must've been a painter in a former life, if that actually happens, because I love to paint!

This is my kiln room set up with rolling tables and temporary iPod for glaze kiln loading.

It can take upwards of three hours to load a kiln with all the pieces you see in the black tray to the right of this photo.

Ok - better shot of the black tray with "to be loaded" pieces. And my nichrome wire hooks - three gauges of wire, multiple size hooks all on my rolling table (which according to my Grandma Neal was the old butcher block used in my grandfather's restaurant to wheel out and serve and slice the prime rib at table side). Don't worry though - that was like 35+ years ago... and it sat in her garage or barn in her old farmhouse for most of that time... That was until I got my hands on it... It's a perfect fit between the kiln, wall, and myself when I'm loading the kiln. Then it wheels out when I clear the room for a firing...

This is the bottom layer of my "papa bear" kiln being loaded. See what I mean about the Vertical surface? The pieces are all hung vertically in the kiln, so the glaze runs down the piece and interacts with the textures instead of just sitting on the piece and puddling on the Horizontal flat surface if it were glazed only on one side (like one of my buttons or cabochons).

Bottom shelf bead trees are full, next level of shelves are being loaded...

Bottom shelf ate up a bunch of the larger pieces, and some small ones... Still a lot to go though. The little ones take so much longer to load and they like to jump off hooks often. Temperamental little buggers they can be! Especially when they like to land on the shelf below.

Here is the upper shelves loaded to the max. It takes a VERY steady and patient hand to load a kiln like this. I find that I can only do this in the mornings without any distractions. So everyone in the family knows if they call, and Dave says I'm loading a kiln, they won't hear from me for hours... and no, I won't just quick get the phone... Gotta love that man for fielding calls and doorbell rings like that for me!

And here it is folks - my moment of pure delight - an empty black box!

Then it's up to the kiln and weather to decide the final outcome of the pieces.

Which is why opening up a glaze kiln is often described as "Christmas Day"...

It's like getting a ton of tiny little gifts all at once if all goes well...

The next posts will contain some of the fired results of these test glazes, the names some people have picked, and a chance for your input to name one or more of them (I get to pick which names I like the best, and which ones have a code that will work in my catalog system). If I pick your glaze name, you get $50 to spend via my online shopping cart!

And I'll announce the names of the people that suggested names via Bead Fest Wire (May 2009) and Bead Fest Philly (August 2009) that won $50 gift certificates to the Marsha Neal Studio online shopping cart.

I wanted to have a big to do on here, but have decided I liked the names I got already for the bulk of the glazes from these two shows, and there are a few I'm stumped on and would like extra input from you all...

And time is running out for me because I'm trying to update my 2010 pendant catalog, Marsha Neal Studio website and need names and codes for the new glazes ASAP...

So let's see how this week goes and if I can get the pictures posted of the new glazes!

Check back soon!!!