Pottery Final Phase - Glazing and Second Firing!

Today was the last session of my five-week class that ended with the process of glazing our pots.  The process involves waxing the pot bases, dipping the pots in glaze, cleaning up the glazed areas once dry and filling in holes in the glaze from the clamp used to dip the pots that end up leaving a mark(s).  There is also the need to smooth out the inside of the pot as well as the exterior before placing the pots on the shelf for firing.  All of this is quite a bit to pay attention to.

Pictured are my 22 pots thrown and fired during the five-week class that are now considered bisque.  Ten of these were glazed and readied for their second and final firing.  I paired an older pot with a newer one coloring both with the same glaze.  (You can see a couple pairings in one of the photos below.)  I want to see if the roughness of the older pot versus the later one, typically smoother, will handle the glaze differently.  

The other 12 pots have waxed bottoms and will be glazed at a later time.  You might think three hours would be enough time to finish them all.  But it takes time to learn this process, the fail points that can happen, and the tips to keep you on the right track.  Ten was about all I could manage.

As it was, I was surprised to have 22 total pots to work on.  I consider them all as imperfect starters of a new craft journey -- that I'll be continuing later this week in a new class.  Wish me well!     

P.S.  I'll post photos of the finished pots after their second kiln firing.  That should be in a couple weeks.