At Least This Soup Isn't Judging You

round footless bowl, mermaid scales

Not For Sale Yet

Materials

• PSH Wax Resist Emulsion UWAX2
  A brushable, water-wax emulsion applied to bisque pots to resist glaze. The wax burns away during firing, so none is present in the finished piece.
• PSH cone 6 clay Black C540i
  Pigmented with non-toxic iron oxide. Fires to a deep brown/black, deeper black when sealed with a transparent glaze. Not recommended for microwave heating because of its iron oxide content.
• PSH Transparent Glaze GTR62
  Non-toxic (lead free) glossy transparent finish, creates a food-safe surface for the interior of mugs and bowls, adds a gloss and brings out the hue of the clay body when used as a sealant.
• PSH Black Matte Glaze GBKM2
  Non-toxic (lead free) matte black, suitable for the exterior of pots. Rigid and durable, but vulnerable to scratches. A slow-drying glaze for brushing.

Stages

• thrown: 2025-09-21 (waxing crescent)
  Humid morning, threatening thunderstorms. I could only stay at the studio for a couple of hours, and I threw four new pieces.
• trimmed: 2025-09-23 (waxing crescent)
  Back on the wheel to scrape off excess thickness and carve out a foot.
• decorated: 2025-09-23 (waxing crescent)
  Using a tool I made myself out of an old butter knife, I impressed mermaid scales into the surface then scraped away excess clay to clean them up. Pierced the brim with two holes for piercing jewelry.
• smoothed: 2025-09-29 (waxing gibbous)
• bisque fired: 2025-10-10 (last quarter)
  Heated to approx 1000°C, producing chemical changes in the clay so that it is less brittle, water-resistant, water-absorbant, and can accept a glaze coating.
• sanded: 2025-10-15 (waning crescent)
  A second sanding of the bisque-fired piece, with a finer grit, to ensure the surfaces are smooth before applying glaze.
• glazed: 2025-10-28 (waxing gibbous)
  Foot is sealed with wax, then the piece was brushed with glaze.