Kiln Off

Awesome juice cup! Sippable or chuggable, your choice. Seriously, field-testing one at home and it rocks! Available on the Etsy shop for only $22. Great idea for upcoming gift ideas!

My kilnsitter just tripped on my recent glaze firing. I will be bringing the work inside plus other items from my online shop to the Richmond Pottery Festival this weekend at the grounds of the Irvinton House Museum, home of Richmond Kentucky Tourism. I'll also be demonstrating a coil pot that will eventually become another one of my sculptures. I hope the weather will have improved by then. We have the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee dumping rain on us now with no end in sight until Thursday. Set up is Friday. This ought to be fun. Well, compared to how dry it's been in the last of the summer weeks, it should make setting up tents easier.
     I'm not quite sure how I feel about the whole outdoor festival thing. I like the idea in concept but the reality of weather issues, set-up, take-down and hauling things around gives me some pause. Particularly at my age. I guess I'll opt for the local stuff for now and see how things go.
     The teapots coming out of this firing are prototypes. I've already decided upon glazing them this week that I'll be revisiting some of the designs and construction issues with new forms and multiple pots. With an upcoming anagama firing at EKU slated for this late fall, I may try and try some forms out for that firing. There is a salt firing that I'm participating in this weekend but no teapots in that one, just cups and pitchers.
     Time is moving differently for me these days. I think it's the menopause thing. I feel like I'm running faster and faster trying to keep up with... well, anything and everything and yet I feel like I'm not necessarily getting anywhere and I could use an extra few hours each day. Something is up with that.

Kiln works! Cone 6!

First crack of the lid this morning!

Well, that anxiety trip is over. (I should qualify that and wait until the electric bill arrives) My first glaze firing is done and it was successful. For the most part. I hit cone 6 but just. The glazes all fluxed but I think they could have done with a longer soak so I think next time, I'll adjust the cone in the slot to get a harder firing. The witness cones at top and bottom fired pretty evenly and cone 6 is over but just, just half way and cone 7 didn't even budge. I'd like to see cone 6 more committed and cone 7 just about tipping. But everything looks good. I did a whole bunch of different glazes, a bit like a kiln load of test tiles on functional work, just to try out ideas, color combos and re-acquaint myself with the glazes I have on hand.

Drinking cups ready to be listed!

     One thing I tried out this time were some underglazes in a range of colors just to get the feel of using them and seeing what my brush technique looks like. I also included some test tiles of slips with a clear overglaze for reference. Next up will be combos and eventually I think I'll settle on some ones that I enjoy. I did test a tile of slip from the ground in the horses pasture. I call it Sand Hill slip. Straight out of the ground, mixed with water and sieved, it comes out this deep brown semi-gloss. But strangely, when I applied a clear overglaze, the overglaze stripped the color out of the slip leaving almost an antique look. I think I may have to experiment with this a bit more!

Underglaze fun

     I played around with dotting and swirling the inside of the pots for fun. I think more for me than anything else.

Swirls and dots, ice cream and coffee!

     Tomorrow I'm out of the studio running some errands but by the evening, I'll be back working on glazing the sugar and creamer pots and starting on some tea pots. My latest sculpture is finished and drying for the kiln. Friday will be photo day and the Etsy listing will begin! It's about time!

A few new items from the salt firing...

Recent salt firing at EKU. I had just a couple of pieces in it. These were made with a white stoneware called Moon White by Highwater Clays. Left unadorned, it turns a nice creamy white in the salt firing. The avery slip flashing adds a nice touch, I think.

SOLD!

Brown Ripple Vase

Thanks to W.R. of Texas for his purchase of this vase. The donation of the proceeds to the American Red Cross has already been made toward the relief efforts in Japan. This makes me so happy!