Glaze Tiles

I only participated in one ceramics class in college so when I came into a teaching situation where I had a kiln and the opportunity to create often with clay, I had a few deficits to say the least. Organization is a strong suit of mine but I was initially a mess when it came to teaching clay to my tiny humans. After a few missteps I purchased the white plastic Jack Richeson palettes. Then it took me a little longer to buy sealable cups to put in those trays. Finally came the bright idea to make testing tiles that would fit INTO that tray so that everyone would have ALL the info when choosing glazes.

Here’s what I do to make a glaze tile:
+ Roll a slab
+ Smooth one section of the slab so there is both a smooth and textured area
+ Use a cookie cutter to cut out a circle
+ Write the glaze name and company on the back

After the clay tiles are dry, I fire them to cone 04. When they’re cool I brush one half of the tile with one coat and the other half with three coats. I differentiate the amount of glaze to emphasize the point that more glaze is better. If you only paint it once your color will be dull, muted, and not shiny. This is a great visual reference for them during the glazing process.

These tiles are used over and over again. Most of my students end up learning the glaze names because we bring them out repeatedly. It was the best solution to manage glaze day with my tiny humans. Plus it makes clean up and storage a breeze, and anything that makes my art day easier is a god send!