Small is good

I'm working hard at filling the gas kiln with another firing of "test" pots next month. Small is good! I have small buckets of glazes we're testing and need small pots that will fit in those buckets. Here are some little bud vases that will get some additional decoration tomorrow. We're hosting the 5th annual Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail April 25 & 26 - so I'm busy busy busy with making new work for the show.

I've recently shown some of my glaze tests from the first firing to older and wiser potter/friends of mine who have been able to tell me A LOT about the firing and things to try differently for next time. Thank goodness for the network of potters who have been very generous with sharing knowledge and skills with me these first few years of my business.

Wow

We just unloaded the first glaze firing this morning and have spent a while reviewing our notes and glaze combinations. Lots of interesting new glazes to explore and some that are a bit boring. There seemed to be plenty of reduction - too much perhaps...as there were some problems with black coring (iron and other organic material getting trapped under the surface of the clay) or it could have been from my bisque firing going too quickly and not allowing that matter to burn out. We'll be looking at these pots for a while longer to get ideas for the next firing! Very exciting!

cone 10 down

I fired the kiln today to cone 10 for the first time. It took 12 hours (but I was trying to take it slow). The kiln was very even in the end, meaning the cones in the top and bottom peeps fell at pretty much the same time. Though I was really nervous today - I think everything went well. At around 4pm I called upon Tom White who kindly drove over from Northfield to hang out with me and the kiln for an hour or so. Not too heavy in terms of reduction, but I'll see the results when the kiln is cool on Thursday.

Patience...

Surely I'll have some interesting "seconds" for the annual Artspace Seconds Sale this Friday and Saturday at the Greenfield High School.

Ready and waiting

I spent most of Saturday and Sunday glazing pots for the first glaze firing...which I planned to load today. Now I'm just waiting for the snow and wind to die down a bit so I can get the pots loaded (hopefully) this afternoon. I'll plan to light the pilots late tonight and fire tomorrow! So - off to make cone packs and review my notes about reduction firing cycles before morning.