Friday, March 26, 2010

New Versions of Old Favorites




Since I was glazing a kiln load of plates and bowls with the new green version of my drippy Alberta Slip glaze, decided to just spray the rest of the lot with the same glaze. This was the result. This watercan, basket and "tulip vase" all have a fresh look, and one that will stand out from the darker blues and browns of my other work when I take it all to Ceramic Showcase next month.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Dinnerware Commission



Fired most of the dinnerware set over the weekend. All the plates and a couple of larger serving pieces got in, but the bowls just didn't make it.

Haven't fired that many plates all at one time and tighter stack and extra shelves changed the way my kiln fired a bit... Everything came out a bit darker due to be reduced* during the firing, but I think the darker color will look nice with food. Waiting to hear from the family who ordered them before I begin the boxing/shipping process.

*when the kiln is starved of oxygen the fire seeks it from the chemicals within the claybody, giving stonewares a darker/richer hue.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Leaf Bowls-Phase Three


The first set of leaf bowls turned out nice. The second set warped as they dried and then rocked after they were glaze fired and were generally a pretty motley bunch. With this third set I've made the dart cuts even deeper and the impressed foot smaller to try and make them more of a bowl than a deep plate. Turned them upside down on a flat surface and paddled the foot in hopes that gives them a good non-wacky start to drying.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

...feeling like a potter again



It's time to do a glaze firing when the pink pots fill up every shelf and are getting stacked on the floor...All OVER the floor, with no room to walk.

Thanks to a dinner set order that came in during busy Showcase production, I've made more pots in the past month than I have in a long time. Orders make us get into the studio to make things! The thing with handformed plates is that you always need to make many more than the 8 piece place setting to ensure you get 8 that are passable. I know enough not to expect a miracle, but hope no disasters! Hopefully 6 of everything will be excellent and only 2 with flaws but only that I see. Or maybe all the plates will be ok and the bowls iffy. Anyways, the complete set is all in that pepto-bismal stage that we potters detest. "Put some Glaze on us, would you!" they're all crying out.

8 piece place setting - $1000-ish.
8 dinner, salad and bread plates
8 triangular plates
8 leaf bowls
1 leaf serving bowl set
1 pedestal bowl

Monday, March 8, 2010

What inspires us?

This kiln shelf has all the color, drama and element of surprise that I would cherish on any pot of mine should it turn out looking like this. And it just happened that way in the firing through nothing we did, and we will grind off all of this beautiful decoration for the next firing. The marks are left from wads that keep our pottery from sticking to the shelf and from flame and ash that swirled all around.

Beautiful shelf. Hope the pots I'm making for spring woodfire turn out half as good.