Muckin' Big firings!

Twice a year, we get to use the BIG kilns - the outdoor wood-firing and the salt-fired kiln. Both firing types were common in Medieval Europe, so naturally I've been spending all semester getting ready.

The interior of the salt kiln. No, the bricks aren't glazed;
they've soaked up years of salt. So, yes - technically, they're
glazed. 

Studio notes

Tuesday night was very productive. 

• I recycled some white stoneware from the studio recycling bin. I wedged it into 4 pound balls and let it sit for a week. It was a little soft, and I couldn't get more than a 2-lb ball to throw from it. However, I have about 12 pieces from Tuesday night, three yarn bowls and the rest all medieval dishes and cups. 
• Put out some red stoneware from the studio recycling bin to start on Garick's aquamanile. 

Wednesday night was good too.

• Trimmed and started carving first raku "pinecone" vase. I had to stop when the work became uncomfortable, but am likely to be well over half done with the vase. 
• Glazed 3 medieval pieces for the ^6 salt reduction firing. Used ^6 glaze on all, but I'm told that the ^10 glazes will mature in that firing as well. More matte effect. Glazed interior only of a cup, plate, and bowl. If I don't like them, they go into the wood firing next weekend. 
• Tuesday night's pieces are tightly wrapped and still wet. Expecting to trim all medieval pieces tonight. 

From this past weekend's firing

Studio notes

I've lost track of how many items I have in process now. I've been focusing on three main areas - raku, wood/salt firing, and just getting some basic white stoneware 14th century pieces done.

Sent 5 of the latter to the glaze firing last night; things are pretty backed up in there, so I'm hoping to be able to mail the two that I owe for KAOS this weekend, and get the other three up on the etsy site for sale. (Yeah! Sale!) Also wedged up 24 lbs of recycled white stoneware for more 14th century pieces. Production tonight.

Also in the pipeline:

• three "pinecone" rakuware vases. I'm having trouble getting the neck/rim to throw properly, and so will be throwing necks to attach. Tonight. Intend to get them into the next ^08 bisque firing, on Thursday. 
• A stack of 5 medieval plates and a tyg for the wood firing on May 1. 
• 5 tea bowls for the same firing. 

And then there are the pieces still in the brain:

• Four-sided "moon" vase; slab construction with thrown neck. Raku. (This means that I need more clay.)
• Raku pedestal for glass tabletop. (15" high)
• Stoneware yarn bowls.
• Small things like ring holders, dipping bowls - $5 range.

Tea bowls

There are years of potential work here:

http://flyeschool.com/content/japanese-tea-bowl-shapes

My first really successful tea bowl. 

On Deck

It really isn't a surprise, but...

I have more ceramics projects in process than I can complete at once.

Medieval dishes

Four medieval dishes currently in process.

At greenware, they are all about 8" in diameter and vary from 1"to 3" in high, wheel-thrown from Laguna Clay B-mix for wood and salt firings. I expect 13% shrinkage.

The form is the typical wide funnel, with minimal decoration. They reach have a horizontal lip that I tried to form in such a way that there's a good grip. We'll know when they're actually strong enough to pick up that way. Although they were intended for this weekend's firings, I couldn't get them done in time. The next wood/salt firing is May 1. I hate to have to hold on to them for another six weeks, but there's not a lot of point in putting them into anything but those. I'll be doing a bunch more in regular stoneware in the meantime.

As the profile shots show, the walls are not quite symmetrical. Although I feel like I'm doing well in creatingng forms, centering stll seems to be my biggest challenge.

Other than making more of these - lots more - I want to add some embellishments. Extant dishes show stamped dots around the rim. Time to make some stamps...

EUREKA!

Today, I made the "frilled" or "thumbprint" base work.

The pot was trimmed while pretty wet intro a flared base with a squared lower angle. I used the wooden tool pictured to press in the "thumbprints," issuing a slight left- leaning pressure.

It wasn't the first highlight of my day, but it was pretty good.

That little lantern

My first version. I've left out the candle-cup looking thingy on the handle. 5" high, in bisque. The form is thrown, incised and then carved. It occurs to me that I was using the image below on my phone to reference for making the modifications - there were some things that I really didn't see properly. Ah, well - I can make more. 

The original, from Saintonge. I'm looking for more info on this one - time period, size, etc. Photo located at http://www.photo.rmn.fr/LowRes2/TR1/NS4GY/03-000098.jpg

 

Studio notes - 2/11

No throwing yet - I still have an abrasion on my left pinky that I'm insisting must heal. Com'on callouses!

• Put a handle on lantern v.2. All wrapped up to allow moisture levels to even out. Thursday - cut the crescents/holes. I may make a brief visit to the studio tomorrow to turn it up on its foot, because I'm worried about it sagging while sitting on its face. 
• 2 pots on the shelf designated for a sagger firing. They're going to both have a terra sigillata surface, but must dry first. I have a roll of copper wire which I plan on spiraling inside the cache pot and outside the vase for the sagger. They will be quite dry enough for terra sigillata application by Thursday, and then need to go in a  ^08 bisque. The claybody is raku. Had a decent experience trimming the foot of both of these, although they were a bit beyond leather hard. 
• Trimmed up a couple bloody funnel cups - they're still too thick at the base!! Back to the wheel! <mutters>
• Clay recycling - I'm currently using 4 (I think) different clays. Being cheap, I am trying to recycle everything that doesn't end up in a bisque firing. This includes throwing slurry, because I don't want to dink with the claybody composition any more than I can help it. However... this is taking up a lot of space and I need more. I haven't even opened the bag of stoneware that is specifically made for a wood or salt firing that's happening late this month. Or the bag of porcelain. 
• Found out that the student show/sale is in late April - I was thinking June! I want to get about a dozen items in it - including a couple of puzzle boxes. Must accelerate my pace; planning on spending Sat and Mon in the studio this weekend. 

Studio notes - 2/07/14

Had trouble focusing last night, so it wasn't a terrifically productive night.

• Trimmed the last tea bowl and the base on this one seems sound. Of course, I didn't get quite the shape I wanted. 
• Threw three more pots of the raku clay. Used 2lbs of clay on each, two vase forms and one round pot. They're for terra sigillata. 

Making plans for Friday night...

Studio notes - 2/4/14

Productive night, although I didn't get any throwing done.

• Trimmed the tea bowls. Got 5 done; one I trimmed through but patched and three others I'm pretty sure are too thin. Drying them on their rims, because they threatened to collapse on their feet. I'm going to throw more because I'm not sure about them. Also, I think that I may have made them a bit too large, but a bisque firing will tell. 
• Carved the lantern and found out that the walls are thicker than I wanted them to be. It's drying. 
• Trimmed the 14th-century-shaped bowl. Also drying. 

Plan to throw more tea bowls tomorrow. Maybe get to more funnel-shaped cups. 

Also need to bring files to mod ribs into a rill-maker - kinda like the bone that this lady is using.

From a German playing card deck, 1455

Studio Notes - 2/01/14

Short day at the studio - cut the tea bowls off the bats and covered them all to start the drying process.

Studio notes - 1/31/14

New clay! Bought raku, a stoneware especially for wood firing, and a cone 06 whiteware.

• Tea bowls tonight. Threw 7, working on the shape. One collapsed, leaving the required 6. (I need 6 for an assignment.) The rest I left on bats to cut off tomorrow. Throwing felt pretty good. 

Studio notes - 1/30/14

Some success! My goal this semester is to master wheel throwing.

• Purchased a new 25 lbs of stoneware clay from the bookstore. It's much stiffer than the recycled that's been causing so much consternation. The difference is dramatic. Much easier to throw, although it's harder to center due to the stiffness.

• Some success due to Robin walking me through throwing. This isn't the first time; each time there's something new that sticks. This time it was pulling the clay up from the bottom of the hump. She asked me if I wanted her to do it again, and I said, "no, let me play with it."

• Got a 14th-century-shaped bowl and a small lantern out of it. Also a funnel cup. I've decided that the lanterns need to be larger and the funnel cups need to be wider.