The Woodfirer's Wealth

When I left for Vancouver Wayne was starting to split the giant mound of wood he had collected over the past few months and by the time I got back the kiln shed was almost full!  He is a most wonderful and supportive husband.  As I've said before, I couldn't do this without him.  Now there is enough wood for at least 4 or 5 firings so I better get busy making pots.  I'm hoping for a firing at the end of June and again at the end of July.

Table Salt Opening

The set up was effortless, the show looked beautiful and the opening was quite well attended, even though it was at 1:00 - 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon.  It was great to see old friends and meet fellow potters like Sandra Ramos, Vincent Massey and the rarely seen Lari Robson!  Sales were amazingly brisk which is always gratifying, especially when you work in relative isolation the way many of us do.  It's easy, when you work alone, to doubt your eye and hands.

The show is on until the end of June, so if you haven't had a chance to see it, go soon.  There are still some pots without red stickers.

Sandra Ramos & Cathi Jefferson

My pieces on the top and Jackie Frioud on the lower shelf.

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.

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.

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.

Busy Month

It's been a month since the last post.  Days have flown, filled with madly making pots for the long, long awaited next firing and a week in Vancouver where each day was crammed full with visits and errands.  I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the North West Ceramic Foundation's fund raiser - From Oven & Kiln - thank you, Dave!  It was a chance to see old friends and meet a few new ones.  The silent auction was passionately supported and bidding was fierce.  I was outbid on both my choices - sad for me, good for the Foundation - but came away with the lovely dessert plate we were all given.  Bonus!

Now back to the grind, literally.  Tomorrow is the grinding of the shelves and posts, then kiln clean-up, a little more glazing, wadding, and then I load.  This kiln will be mainly orders and lots of mugs to fill the empty mug rack.   It's hard, sometimes, doing orders when I'd rather play a little and experiment but then that's what I'm here for.  Exploring will be for the next firing and at the rate I'm going there's going to be another dreaded July firing, again, to fill my shelves for summer.

Some pots

I'm working hard to get a firing together for the end of the first week of April.  Big bisque yesterday and 3 more days to make pots for the front of the kiln.  Then all the grinding of shelves and posts and cleaning out the kiln.  I'll start glazing on Thursday and alternate that with the heavier work of grinding to save my hands a bit.  The trials and tribulations of the ageing potter!  

So here are a couple of pots from the last firing.

Temmoku jug on plain white ground.

Trying a new background (my old damper) but maybe too busy and distracting.