So here's the very delicate MFQ 3 pulls and you're out clay body...very squiggy kinda 'smack responsive' like porcelain but not.. After cracking the bag today i thought it may be a tad firm but it shouldn't have been as i had it well wrapped and damped down...so to explain my smack responsive, you know how some clays the more you work them the softer it becomes, well that's MFQ short for mid fire quartz. I really wanted to get in into the soda fire and see how it responds even if i am torturing my throwing style and my hands.. I'll clean them up tomorrow and then onto the tall mugs.. i think that will be plenty for the test fire and soon, the wood is cut and stacked and i'll be mixing it up with wood and gas firing.. happy wkd all
I've got a couple of clays like that, this frost porcelain I am working with and also the cassius basaltic black clay. At first they seem stiff and then all of a sudden they are very plastic and floppy and I have to be careful with the handbuilding with them. MFQ - hum, I need to start studying up on clay ingredients. Good luck with the test firing. those bowls are a nice shape and look really thin, can't wait to see the results.
ReplyDeleteSweeeeet bowls, wood and Raku, my favs! Happy firing :)
ReplyDeletehey linda, glad you got the gist of what i'm talking about.. so much of what we do is visual it's hard sometimes to adequately describe in words..oooh basaltic black clay what's that like?? and yeh poss too thin.. i've grown accustomed to my fav stoneware body and it's quite stiff and will take the thin walls..
ReplyDeletehey trace how was class today? thanks should be firing in a couple of weeks when all this work is dried out..
ReplyDeletei like a good smack responsive clay body. i've been throwing a bit of clay that's been sitting around and it's not my main clay body... what a struggle
ReplyDeletehowdy jim, it does take while to switch over to new clay body quirks eh..
ReplyDeleteyes- b-mix is like that.
ReplyDeleteI always think too stiff and then after "smacking' it about it is good to go.
Great term!
some clays need to be dropped on their heads (or the studio floor)a few times to get going, I think MFQ is one of them!
ReplyDeletehey meredith, yep lots of clay smacking yesterday..
ReplyDeletehowdy ali, yep totally forgot about that only having worked with it a few times and years ago but this one was in the fridge, so time to give it another bash!
Hi Ang, I had a lot of catching up to do today. I ahven't read your blog in a while. You've been busy!!
ReplyDeletehi connie, oh really! there i was thinking i'd been a bit slack...thanks I still don't seem to get updates from your blog..does anyone else have the same prob??
ReplyDeleteYep. The white clay body I use, Laguna's B-Mix, is like that. Kinda semi-porcelaneous. Not as floppy and rubbery as porcelain, but getting there. Good in wood and salt, though.
ReplyDeleteHey Hollis i've heard of that one, it's funny how many faux porcelain clay bodies there are...they all have some elements of porcelain about them, I'm looking forward to this next experiment with soda...just waiting for the work to dry now...it's cold out there...
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