41/365 yesterday was clay day

For the past two Saturdays, I have played with clay.  Last week I was gung ho about getting my pieces ready so I could try my first bisque firing.  I haven't shared the results yet, but it was a roaring success!  I straight away glazed the pieces and back into the kiln they went. 

I had mixed final results.  Since I know next to nothing when it comes to ceramics, I am learning some from my daughter, and some as I go along.  Some pieces came out like bluck.  Some came out ok, and some are great and usable for one kind of artistic endeavor or another.  I'm thinking of glazing again and firing them one more time.  I'm debating, but better be deciding on a course of action soon.

I guess the same way I like texture in my metal, I like texture in my clay too.  I'd been working with a lot of PMC lately, and like it a lot, but it's sooooo expensive to work with.  Of course you get a result that is much more likely to last a lifetime than a ceramic piece will.  In ceramics, the materials are relatively affordable.  The kiln fires for a reallly long time (like 13 hours) and I wonder just how much electricity I'm using.  I can churn out a number of pieces pretty quickly.  But then they need refining, bisque firing, glazing, firing again and then they're finally ready.  Thick pieces take awhile to completely dry.  It's a long process.

I like the process though.  I usually only have a limited amount of time to work with clay and I like to complete at least one step with a batch of pieces with each sitting.  Tonight I'll stream Downton Abbey season 1 and sand away........

So that brings me to the question as to what I'll do with all these pieces!  I'll probably use some in my own jewelry creations.  Some things will get gifted.  And I'm considering selling them off in a grab bag sort of listing as jewelry components.   It would be awesome to see someone make something really special out of a piece I'd made.