Monday, October 27, 2014

Some Pots

Here are some pots from the last firing.  There's a bit of a rush on now to get another firing, quick, before the middle of November.  It always feels a bit pressured this time of year, trying to get as many pots ready as possible for Christmas/Holiday sales and the annual art show at the end of the month.  Just 3 or 4 days left to make stuff, then I have to grind the sad kiln shelves covered in ash glaze runs.  Yuck.

Temmoku butter dish

Teadust Temmoku oil bottle with a big salt flash

Another teadust with salt flash

Refired shino with wild flame marks

Temmoku colander

Teadust Temmoku bowl

Kind of Rock-Like

Really, the matte ash glaze does look quite rock-like.  Sort of.






Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Best Ever Post-Firing Rest

We fired the kiln on the 13th after a most excellent Thanksgiving dinner with family and friend on Saturday.  The firing went very smoothly until the last few hours when it stalled a bit and took an extra hour or so to reach temperature at the back - which meant that the heat work was really cooking the front.  So with some anxiety about bloating and glaze runs, we just left the kiln and went camping for three days.  What a good idea!  We had a wonderful time walking and reading and fishing and playing Scrabble.  Didn't think about the kiln once.  It was so beautiful and soooo relaxing.

Then we came home.

Cone 12 was puddled at the front and almost all the pots at the front were bloated.  The big guy and the soap dishes survived.  Some of the losses were my fault.  The clever guard bricks at the right got knocked into the pot behind which tipped onto the pot beside it.  Ah, well, you learn.  In spite of losses at the front, the back made up for it with some gorgeous temmokus and ash glazes.  Photos to follow.

All loaded 
 The rocks are from our camping trip.  The colours and surfaces are so beautiful.  I'd love to make glazes that look like that.




Even the garbage was beautiful.

2nd stack from the front with some bloating and a few runny glazes

Large temmoku vase

Ash glazed teapot

Shino butter dish