The Tent

So here's the first version of the tent.  The fabric is too heavy so the light doesn't come through well enough and the lights are obviously the wrong kind as they're turning a very white background pink.  I'm still getting glare on the shiny glazes but I kind of like it.  Note the clever dowel tent holder.  I have to admit the photos taken outside on bright overcast days are better.

Back in the Saddle Again

After a very long rest, (2 months) I've finally got back in the studio to work.  It's always hard to start again after a break and I will use any excuse, it seems, to avoid doing that first mug - the dishes/laundry/vacuuming need doing and maybe I should bake some cookies and oh, look, it's so late now I may as well get dinner started.  There's this little flutter of anxiety at the back of all this that maybe it won't work this time.  So a few days back there was half an hour free and I just got my butt out there and made a few mugs.  And they were ok and it was wonderful!  So then you have to go back in the next day to put the handles on and then you might as well make a few more and maybe some bowls and then you're saved. 

New Pots!

I've been following Michael Kline's blog, Sawdust & Dirt, glad that he's returned after a 6 month absence, loving the pots on the blog and on his web site and finally taking the plunge and ordering pots from him.  And they came today!  They're much more beautiful than they look in these quickie snap shots.  We had raw veggies at lunch in the front bowl and will use both for soup tonight. 

It's always so exciting to get new pots to see how other potters deal with things like rims and feet and curves and decoration.  How glaze and slip are applied, what marks are left of the process of making.  Michael Kline wood fires and salt glazes which makes his work especially appealing to me.   After seeing his work in books and online, it's great to be able to pick them up, feel the texture of the clay, the heft and balance, the cup rim against your lips - that's how the pots come alive.

Winter Break

This year my winter break has been longer than usual.   I overdid it in November and December, doing one more firing than usual (in December which I never do) and wound up with very sore and swollen hands.  January classes were cancelled and some serious down-time followed.  The rest has been good for my joints and now I'm gearing up to start throwing again.

Quiet studio, ready to go.

Before I actually start throwing I want to set up a light box for photographing the pots from the mid-December firing.  This cluttered disaster is the corner where I'm going to set up my photography station. Should be ready in a couple of days.

 The December firing turned out to be an excellent lesson in not pushing ahead when way too tired.  The kiln acted up for the first time ever and stalled badly, adding at least an hour to the usual firing time.  For some reason the back top of the kiln didn't even get cone 9 to start bending and then the front hit cone 14 so there was a combination of underfired, pinholed pots at the back and bloated, warped pots at the front.    The hammer was my friend as I edited the results - between 22 - 25% went into this 5 gallon bucket.  But that said, I got some of the best temmokus out of this firing.  I'll post photos of the survivors next week.

Studio Open House

The studio sale was today.  Disappointing turn-out, with sales down a good 20-25% from last year.  This is a very small community and there's always the fear that market will be saturated.  Will try the winter Farmers' Market for the next  2 weekends but will postpone next week's planned firing.  My arthritic old hands need the rest and I really don't need the stock.  But shelves and posts and kiln are all cleaned and ready so the next firing will be a breeze.

Art Show

This is part of the display.  The nasty pink curtains come with the hall.  All in all the show went well and sales were as good as last year, despite the poor economy.  Thanks to everyone who came!  Now everything is unloaded and back in place, ready for the studio open house next Saturday.

Pots from the November 17th Firing

Here are a few pots from the last firing.  I apologize for the quality of the photos - the new camera is much better but I definitely need a light box to photograph these shiny glazes and eliminate the glare.  Setting up a photography corner will be a priority project for January.  So again, most of the temmokus were leaning towards purple except at the back and there were several runs.   Even though I'm beginning to appreciate the purple/green/black thing, I now understand why they're coming out like that and will fire to correct it next time.  Even though we weren't getting what looked like obvious reduction (no heavy black smoke, no back pressure) we were getting quite a bit of reduction which is what causes temmokus to run and to lean towards the purple.

Tea dust cookie jar with ash on the front.

Tea dust 3 litre jug with ash and a salt flash.

12 inch temmoku jug

Small jar (about 3 inches high)

Olive bowl in tea dust gone purple.

Tea dust again.

Teadust as it should look, with a bit of salt at the top.

Red shino bowls with some residual salt.

My favourite side plate (red shino, some salt).

Shino cookie jar.

Tea dust with ash.

This is Hamada Rust gone purple with chartreuse ash streaks.

Hamada Rust (purple version) with ash.