It has been ages since I said I was going to have a play with my new porcelain and if any one was a waiting with baited breath to see what I have come up with I do apologise ;)
I have been busy making regular stock to fill the fairs and shows I have planned for the year and couldn't fit in much play time sadly. To be honest after first having a tiny poke about of the porcelain I am afraid I got rather intimidated by it.
Sounds ridiculous I know but being so used to my usual forgiving stoneware clay trying out the porcelain daunted me!
I had such wonderful ideas for structures that have been swimming around in my head for years that I thought would suit the whiteness and translucency of the fired porcelain but pretty soon in I realised I needed a lot more practise and probably more skill in porcelain work to fully accomplish these ideas.
I did however make some lovely little leaf dishes and more of my scallop shells that I usually make in my stoneware clay
These are just out of the bisque firing
I think these with look brilliant when glazed particularly the shells as the glazes used on them are really unusual and almost lustre like.
It took a bit of time for me to get my head around the porcelain and having to treat it differently to what I am used to. It is so fine and delicate and just sucks any moisture up I soon discovered that water is it's best-est friend. Little cracks appeared in the central veins again like it did with those larger leaf dishes but I was able to deal with them and the next batch has come out of it's bisque firing looking good.
I can see the appeal entirely too. It's a lot like a diva, demanding and unforgiving but gosh when it sings it really sings and you know all that pain and effort was worth it.....well we'll wait and see how true that is when the dishes are completely finished :)
Do any of you see a huge difference in porcelain or stoneware clay pieces? Do you value porcelain above stoneware clay due to it's difficulty? Or does it not make a difference?
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