Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Table Salt

I'm off to Vancouver this morning for the Table Salt group show which opens Saturday, June 2, 2012 at the Gallery of BC Ceramics.   The opening is from 1 - 3 pm.   Hope you can stop by if you're in the area.  Looks like it will be an excellent show.



Monday, May 14, 2012

Kiln's Unloaded


Well, this was a pretty exciting firing.  Lots of tests and major fiddling with the firing cycle - we slowed everything down, had passive dampers out from early on, closed the air down after the first 5 hours, took 15 hours instead of the usual 12 - and for the first time in this kiln's history there was no bloating in the second stack!!!   And we hit cone 10 at the bottom back and cone 11 at the top back! There was major joy at Orde Creek Pottery on Saturday night!  The only down side is that there was more reduction than I wanted so the beautiful teadust didn't happen and a bunch of the temmoku's ran.   I refired the blistered, underfired pots from the low temperature back from the last firing and they all came out great (except for the one's that ran).  I learned so much from this firing.  

Tested an ash glaze with our pure cedar ash and was very happy with the results.  Will mix a bigger batch for the next firing and have pots to show then.  Also tried sets with trays which I'm very pleased with.  More to come next time.  And all the custom order sets, all 6 of them, came out great.  No lids glued to jars, or bits of kiln in the bottom of cups or bowls.

Temmoku wine cups and tray.

Cone 8 celadon that did just fine at cone 11.

Orange shino shallow bowl/tray.

Orange shino spice jar set.

New shino "shell".   

Super reliable Leach White, good at very high temperatures without running.

Friday, May 11, 2012

May 9th Firing


So we finally fired!  The preparation and the firing itself are getting harder to manage so I take a few extra days to pace myself.  The potters' scourge, arthritis, makes it hard to brick in the door (those bricks are more than 9 lbs each) and then to pick up and move the gazillion pieces of wood that make up the cord (more or less) that we use for each firing.  It's 2 days later and my hands are still swollen.  Time to think about a firing assistant.  The making is still no problem, just all that grasping and lifting.  Any takers?  

So here are a few photos of the firing.  I'll unload tomorrow some time and will have photos of any successes on Monday or Tuesday. 

Kiln door 1/2 bricked in

Early in the firing,  stoking through the air inlets.

Pot and cones through the side spy hole.

Near the end of the firing.

After the damper was closed.  There was still wood on the grates when we shut everything down so lots of flame out the stoke hole door.

Dramatic art shot.