Hibernation time

The big snow is finally here and the shortest day is tomorrow.  I've always loved the solstice because even though it feels like winter has really just settled in, we know the days are now, bit by bit, barely noticeably, getting longer and bringing back the light.

Studio in the snow 

Out the back window of the house

Winter Market

The art show is over and the studio open house is done, now I'm back at the indoor Farmers' Market.  We had a gazillion vendors and quite a good crowd today - the support from our community is great. Two more Saturdays and we're done for the year.  I must admit that I'll be glad for the down time.  

I'm looking forward to getting back in the studio to try new things, take a few risks, without any need to rush to get a firing done.  Next firing won't be until spring.  So, time to carefully consider, be more discerning in what is allowed to get past the dry stage and actually make it to the kiln.  But first, 2 more markets!

Studio Open House

I hope those of you in the area will join me for coffee, tea and goodies next weekend for my annual Christmas open house.  There are lots of new pots and a selection of sale priced items as well.

Hope to see you next weekend! 

Pots from the November 15th Firing

Here are a whole bunch of pots from the last firing.  Didn't get a chance to photograph them before the art show which was this past weekend so some of the winners have sold unrecorded.  There weren't many tea dust pots this time and most of them were the green and purple version so they didn't get photographed.

Red shino soup bowls

Big Orange shino teapot

Small Orange shino teapot

Temmoku teapot

Carbon Trap shino garlic baker

Red shino olive bowl

Red Shino Garlic pot

Cedar Ash glaze teapot

Cedar Ash faceted bowl

Beautiful ash glaze drips

Medium Cedar Ash baker

Cedar Ash glaze mug from front of kiln

Cedar Ash glaze mug from further back in the kiln

Red shino plate with salt lustre

White shino teapot

Large red shino salad/mixing bowl

Small red shino jug

Orange shino garlic baker

Cedar Ash glaze oil bottle

Cedar Ash glaze olive bowl

Fired!

We fired the kiln yesterday.  Weather was cloudy and calm, firing was smooth and steady.  Fingers crossed for good results.  Everything is riding on this one - art show next weekend, studio open house in 2 weeks and 3 more farmers' markets!  The shelves are pretty empty in the studio.  Burnt through another finger of the kevlar gloves so these are toast (so to speak).  The cast hearth brick cracked and threatened to drop off but with a little pot shard propping we made it to the end.  This is the last firing of the year and there will be big maintenance going on before the first firing in spring.  Pots will be unloaded on Sunday and I'll post photos later in the week.

In full kit - goggles, face shield and kevlar gloves and only cotton and wool clothes.

A Few More Pots

This firing was quite good with no bloating at all.  Seem to have the right rhythm figured out.  So here are a few more photos before I get on to the next firing.

Carbon Trap shino jug

Carbon Trap Shino garlic pot

Hamada Rust garlic pot

Orange Shino pouring bowl

Orange Shino faceted bowl

Soy servers

Carbon Trap Shino teapot

Carbon Trap Shino teapot

Some pots

So here are some pots from Thursday's firing.  This is a white paper backdrop that has gone all blue.  Reed, I need your de-blueing technique!  Though it does look like they're floating on clouds!

Orange shino garlic pot

Temmoku garlic pot

Soy sauce servers

Ash glazed oil bottle

Faceted Tea Dust bowl

Carbon trap shino pouring bowl

Ash glazed jug

Tea Dust Temmoku Jug

Carbon trap shino bowls

Firing

Fired yesterday, on my own.  Everything going brilliantly, racing along, until it stalled.  I was hoping to fire a little faster than last time to keep the temmokus from overheating and running and to keep the dreaded bloat away.  So in the end it took 16 hours not the 13 or so I was hoping for.  Now it's fingers crossed for happy results.  Unloading on Sunday.

Beautiful morning light on the kiln.

Loved the wild hair look of the soot behind the stokehole door.

Looking into the kiln from the passive dampers at the back.  The horn-like things are Brianna's moose with several handles in between.

Loaded and Ready to Go

Finished loading today.  Firing tomorrow.   

Pots waiting to be glazed.

Glazed pots waiting to be loaded.  Grandkids pots in front.

More glazed pots.  Brianna's moose is on top.