Sunday, December 25, 2011

 A successful glaze firing  from a new kiln load came out of  on the 20th of December. All in all it included over 30 mugs, some bowls, and other pieces. I have included a few examples here. Overall, the load was successful, even though most of the pots did not meet the expectations of the potter. I used a series of glazes that work very well with the brown clay body that I make a lot of my pieces with, but as this load was mixed with white and brown bodies, I was not as pleased with the effect on the white clay. I also used a teal blue color with a breaking green color over top that did not seem to work as expected. As usually happens my wife liked the effect of the glazes on the white clay and did not agree with my critique of the pottery. Different strokes for different folks-or as my dad would say "what do I know?" 
I was pleased with the way this bowl turned out even though I felt the inside running(intentional) was a little too much. the use of the underglazes rubbed into the stamped and incised decoration was quite effective, came through the waxy white glaze effectively and did well with the nutmeg. The bowl was well trimmed and finished with an 11/2"angled accent on the rim. The outside dripping on the bowl worked well, and the foot ring provides a stable base for such a functional piece.

I am hoping to get more of the shop cleaned out in the next few weeks, and begin work on the chalice and paten orders that I have for the Spring. From there I have some lamps to make, and some show pieces for Spring and Summer juried shows.