Glazes

Pottery only looks good when it’s in three of its five possible stages. When a piece is fresh off the wheel, it has a nice wet, glossy texture. As the clay reaches the drying stage known as ‘leather hard’, it gets a soft sheen. As the clay dries (wet clay in a kiln is a recipe for disaster) it goes into the “bone-dry” stage and then its fired for the first time. It is at these two points where the clay looks its worst. It’s drying, depressing, and every flaw is visible.
This sad state begs for color and that’s where the glaze comes in. Making color choices when glazing is very important. Each glaze has its own personality and, just like people, if you mix two of the wrong type together you get a very ugly situation. When it comes to color and glazes, there is no exact science involved. Besides a basic knowledge of how it works, the field is basically open for experimentation, failures, and success.
The possibilities are amazing. A bright, flat color is possible, making the pot pop with life. There are also earth tones that have the ability, through careful layering, to create such a sense of depth that it feels as though you could put your hand right through. Texture is a big issue with glazing as well. A glaze an crackle or bubble and at times that can be very desirable. Color and glaze texture can make or break a piece.