OUT OF THE FIRE

 

A follow on from last week's post - 

After 3 days the cauldron was cool enough to empty the pots,

lots of good surprises and only a few losses.

 

The largest pot was the best, alas it has a fsmall fine hair crack running down from the rim,

but the result with this pot and a few others has urged me on to keep firing this way.

 

Last post I mentioned going to look at a kiln,

looking for it at the sale, owners said it had been dropped,

smashed to bits and taken to tip,

I think someone bought it privately before sale.

Doesn't matter, there are others out there.

 

Searching on Gumtree, found one that might suit me,

going to look at it tomorrow.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.

 

Next project, make a lighting cube, finding it difficult to take decent photos.

 

 

This is the best result, (fine hair crack)
Hand built, white earthenware clay, burnished and bisqued to cone 018
before firing in sawdust and other exciting additives.

Just love the results.

Same pot, other side.

 

  I have been viewing all the posts re last weekend and Open Studios,

check them out on Mud Colony,

there's a lot of fantastic,  creative and talented potters out there.



WOW! What a weekend

 

 

The weekend started off Saturday morning at an Auction Clearance Sale.  We love these, lots of lovely goodies to pick up for a song.  After picking through rows and rows of rubbish, we did bid for a few items for $2, $5 and $10.  The dearest $20 for a wrought iron outdoor setting in good nick.   But it rained all throughout the sale, I was miserably wet, the umberella kept wanting to turn inside out, then the sun came out once all items were sold.  Oh! well! That's the weather for you. 

 

Today, Sunday morning, was planned to set up a pit firing of a couple of burnished pots I've been saving for this occasion.  Lots of nice dry cow manure mixed into sawdust, copper pieces, corn husks (soaked in salt and dried), banana skins, coffee, dried leaves and an experiment (mistletoe leaves draped over pots).  Copper, magnesium, iron, salt and baking soda mixed through the manure/sawdust mix.  Took a lot of photos and here are a few of them.  This fire will probably burn for a few days the way its going at the moment.

1.  The big cauldron bought from a Clearance Sale
for just this use
 
2.  Plenty of fuel layed out on bottom of cauldron
and a large heavy grill placed about 1/3 way up.

3. The pots placed on a bed of sawdust/manure mix which has been laid on grill. Lots of other goodies placed in, on and around pots.

4. Another layer of sawdust mix,  placed carefully placed over pots and a layer of timber on top of that.

5.  Fire is lit under grill and away she goes

6.  "Lucky" guarding the fire, but it will be too hot soon for him to stay

Well that's the best I can do with these photos
they do what they want, not what I want
them to do. 

Don't forget to check out MudColony and see what the other "Muddies" are up to.

DILEMMA

 

Had a couple days away with my daughter and her family and came home with a horrible tummy bug.  Have been feeling miserable since came home, so to cheer myself up thought I would throw a few pots with new stoneware clay I have been saving for just the right occasion.   It worked, felt much better concentrating on clay and speed of wheel, thinking of nothing else, with just the radio on in the background.  Then spent a lovely couple of hours this afternoon turning the pots.  It's been a while since I've spent any time on the wheel and had forgotten how much I enjoy it.

 

 

 

So that has brought my dilemma to a head.  I keep bouncing around from wheel to handbuilding,

slab to moulds, creative to functional, etc. etc.  I just don't know where I'm heading and can't seem

to get a handle on just what path to follow.  My problem is I like it all, and I'll end up a jack of all

trades, but not proficient in any.  I love sawdust/pit firing but also like sgraffito and painting on my

pots pre bisque. 

 

Has anyone else found themself in this situation, how do I get myself sorted out???

 

Anyway, enough of my rambling on , must pop over to MudColony and check out what others are up to.