Working Hard...

Here are the results of this weekend's efforts in the studio - 3 bowls, 4 mugs, and 3 utensil holders.

The two bowls that are obviously made from different clay are not for the salt fire.  Salt fire running total is at ten now.  I managed to break one of the canisters that I made last week, so now it is a set of two.  That's OK though.  I'd decided that they were going to end up being too small anyway.  Maybe next weekend, I will try again on the canister set idea.  

There was also a glaze fire this week.  Here are some of my things from that: 

Probably my favorite casserole so far. 

Here's what it looked like before firing...      

And from the top...

A bowl with a lid. 

Some mugs.

One of two round bakers.  I didn't get a good picture of the second one.  

Canisters

I went back to work this week.  And I am still working on having a good attitude about it.  I LIKE my job, but as a teacher, it will always feel weird to go back to work in the middle of July.  I'm not complaining, mind you, but it takes me a while to adjust to being back on a schedule. 

In addition to working full time, I'm also trying to train for a triathlon on August 24 and a half marathon on Oct 20.  In other words, I have a very full schedule and I'm tired and hungry a lot these days.  How does all this affect pottery, you ask?  Well, it means that I'm not able to be there very much. This week, I didn't make it back until Saturday morning.  However, I did swim once, ride my bike twice, and run 4 times this week in addition to working full time and taking care of other family obligations.  No wonder I was pooped by Friday!

Sept 28 is the next salt fire and I'm trying to have 30 pieces ready.  I have a mental list of what I'd like to do...which I should really write down.  Mental lists have a tendency to disappear.  Anyway, that list includes at least one canister set.  I threw the pots and lids on Saturday morning and went back on Sunday to finish them.  

Before...

...and after.

So this is 3 of the 30 pieces...I just counted available weekends and I'm not going to make it if I don't work a little faster!  

Glaze Results

Here are some pictures of the pieces that were in the last couple of glaze fires.  Some of these had been glazed for a while and some are things that I glazed while suffering (and I do mean suffering) from jet lag and post-vacation exhaustion.  All in all, not too shabby...

Trays and Bowls

Trays and Bowls and Butter Dishes

Small Casserole with Lid

Butter Dishes, Spoon Rests, Soap Dishes

Cake Pans

Cream and Sugar

Now to find a place on the shelves downstairs for all of this...

Jet Lag and Glazing

For some reason every time I am gone from the studio for any length of time, I have a pile of pieces to glaze when I get back.  Poor planning on my part?  Bad luck?  

Jeff and I spent 12 days (June 19-30) in Southern California and Oregon visiting friends.  It was a wonderful trip, but the jet lag when we got home was killer.  We came home on the red eye on Monday morning and I tried to resume my normal routine on Tuesday.  This is as much of the glazing that I could stand to do Tuesday morning.  Considering how tired I was, getting this far was pretty good.  Ugh...looking at this is making me need a nap again. 

Surprising Salt Fire

As is often true the first time I try something new, there were some good and some not so good surprises in the salt fire that I participated in a few weeks ago.   I have not included many pictures of the disappointing pieces.  (I actually thought that I should start sharing the things that don't go well, but when I sat down to do this post, I found that I didn't have any pictures of the pieces that I didn't like.  Interesting.)  

The biggest surprise was that several of my things ended up being just white (and boring).   I should learn to ask questions I guess.  I assumed that all clay bodies would end up with the cool brown, kind of speckled surface that I associate with a salt or soda fire.  Not so. Clays with a lot of porcelain in them are just white.  The mugs below are examples.  The blue glaze at the top of these saved them I think.  I would like to point out that all 4 mugs have the same glaze on them, but they were located in different places in the kiln.  

Here are the pieces that did what I expected them to do.  My favorite is the cookie jar in the back.  

Close ups of the cookie jar: the glaze on the outside and inside are the same.  Inside the jar didn't have as much exposure to the salt.  The white spots around the rim are where the wadding was placed to keep the lid and jar separated so they didn't fuse together.  (I might have to keep this piece...)

Napkin Holders: a couple of these twisted in the heat (although it is not obvious in this picture). I don't mind that so much.  I think it makes them more interesting and doesn't affect their usefulness.  

 Close up of a small lidded bowl.

And another small lidded bowl.  This one is made out of the white clay, so the outside is white except for where it is glazed.  And the inside is kind of tan.  Weird.  

We are discussing the possibility of doing another salt fire in August or September and I hope that we do.  I have learned a lot about what to do and not do and I would like another shot.  I'd also like to be there to glaze and help load the kiln.  I was on vacation when all this wonderfulness happened.  I owe Allen Griffin big time for being willing to take care of transporting and glazing my work while I was gone.  To fully understand what a HUGE favor that was you must understand that Allen HATES glazing.  I've offered to glaze his pieces next time.  I wonder if he will take me up on it...