Week 1: Glaze Foundations & Studio Setup
- Focus: Understanding what a glaze is and establishing your workspace.
- Description: Explore the history and basic structure of pottery glazes. Learn how to prepare your studio, plan your glazing workflow, prepare bisque ware, and properly use hot or cold wax resists to keep bottoms and lid areas clean.
- Focus: How to buy, mix, and test pre-made glazes.
- Description: Demystify the commercial glaze market. Guest functional potter Lynn Barnwell joins Antoinette to teach you what to look for when purchasing glazes, how to identify different glaze effects, and the proper techniques for mixing, dipping, and testing commercial formulas.
- Focus: Mastering dipping, pouring, and spraying.
- Description: Dive deep into specific glaze application techniques. Learn how to pour and spray glazes evenly, and discover how to control glaze behavior by understanding crucial chemical additives, including suspending agents, flocculants, de-flocculants, and brush-on mediums.
- Focus: Transitioning to mixing custom glazes from scratch.
- Description: Learn the properties of raw ceramic materials and how to handle them safely. Step-by-step instructions guide you through reading a glaze recipe, measuring specific gravity/density, mixing powder formulas, making test tiles, and executing proper testing procedures.
- Focus: Advanced surface design and artistic projects.
- Description: Push your creative boundaries by experimenting with decorative glaze techniques. This week covers historic and modern surface design, including Cuerda Seca, Majolica, controlled glaze layering, unique resist methods, glaze printing, and slip/glaze trailing.
- Focus: Analyzing results and fixing studio errors.
- Description: Understand the critical relationship between heat work, pyrometric cones, and your kiln. Learn how to execute successful electric kiln firings, analyze your test tiles, and identify common glaze faults—providing you with practical remedies to fix troubled glazes forever.