February 13, 2025 - Cold finishes are any surface treatment on ceramic sculptures that are not traditionally fired in a kiln. Glazes, underglazes and stains are all kiln-fired approaches that are classically used to finish ceramic pieces. We generally don’t use glazes as they tend to obscure sculpted details making them look like they’ve been dipped in cream. They can also be unpredictable. Despite extensive testing, the various factors that occur within a firing environment can cause disasters. One time, we’d done many test firings on a lovely satin gunmetal grey finish to confirm we had all the variables just right. We applied it to a kiln full of our sculptures. Several days later after the firing was complete, we opened the kiln and, to our horror, every sculpture had turned a nasty slime green, with the exception of…