Kiln Firing Results!

Before firing

Just in time for the Whimsical Women show in Pfafftown this weekend, the kiln is unloaded and I am rampantly cleaning and pricing pottery!

After firing!

View inside of the kiln

  There will be a large array of mugs, vases, dishes, wine cups, bowls, compost crocks, pickling crocks, and pitchers!

Ornaments

 Look for the ornaments! I will have a large variety of these unique, lightweight porcelain beauties to choose from!

Fall Pottery Photos

Decorated vases

I've been bad about taking photographs of my pottery in the last couple of months, so I put aside some photo-studio time!

Tankards

The firings this late summer/fall have turned out some really lovely pots.

Decorated mugs

Large handled bowl

After one year of firing with this kiln I am starting to better understand where I get the best results with certain decorations and surfaces in my kiln. I'm not getting too comfortable, mind you, that would likely not be a good idea and result in disasters!

Small dishes

Wine cups

 One more kiln firing to go! If you have any holiday requests, get them to me ASAP as I will likely not be doing a December firing!

Vases

Experiments

Small herd of experiment mugs!

 I overheard someone recently saying that if an experiment of some kind is not going in every one of your kiln firings then you are not moving forward as a potter. It is an interesting perspective, and true in many respects for always challenging oneself and trying new things. This upcoming kiln firing at Joseph's will have a lot of experiments in it for me. Some recently made experiments are these mugs which have a white ground beneath my cobalt blue decorations.

I am hoping that like the previous kiln firing at Joseph's where I first tried this out a little bit, that it will be a shiny white ground with bright blue on top. The blue may blow out a little bit, but I am hoping they will be spectacular and I will certainly take the lessons from my experiments to my kiln when I get it built! 

Small mug with white slip beneath the cobalt blue decoration. Bare clay body surrounds it with salt-glazed surface

Dish rim with white ground under cobalt blue decoration

Handles

My usual handle

 For every potter I have ever worked with, I have learned different techniques for attaching and shaping handles. I made some mugs a few days ago and was attaching handles yesterday when Joseph demonstrated how he makes his handles. My usual handle shape is in the photo above.

Joseph's handle

The photo above is the handle Joseph demonstrated. Then I made a few handles. I think I will make some more mugs and continue trying out this style of handle. I do like that the edges of the handle are less sharp, but I have not decided whether I like the rounded juncture at the top.I have also been trying to make pieces of pottery much thinner than I have ever made them, and it is resulting in either some George Ohr sculptures or some decent looking mugs. 3/4 of a pound for a mug! Not a surprise, I know, and I know it's possible, it's just something new! Lots of learning!

My attempts at making a handle similar to Joseph's demonstration