A Good Day After a Bad One

Well, yesterday was one of those terrible no good, very bad days.  And I didn't even get caught in the hurricane.  Okay, it's pretty small compared to the devastation and destruction from the hurricane.  Yet I was at the dentist yesterday and learned of yet another dental procedure costing another $1K.  So, this year I'll pay about $8K in all to the dentist.  Yes, I am thankful for good dental care, and I didn't do anything wrong to cause all this.  Just life.  Quite disappointing and sad.  Thankfully, life isn't about $.  This is just one reason why I am voting the way I am; I don't want anyone else to go through this; I will gladly help to pay for universal health care.  At least I have a good job, and although my savings account is sad these days--- hard to save with these expenses!,  and I have health insurance.  So many don't.... including some wonderful potters.

So, off of my mini soapbox about universal healthcare.  That was yesterday and I'm thankful for a new day.  And then this came in the mail today.  My youngest sister gave me the most thoughtful present I've received in a long while.  Can't wait to read EVERY page.  And another friend gave me a subscription to Pottery Making Illustrated--- as part of the 2 for 1 deal.

Life goes on.  And how I love the pottery world these days!   I plan on spending some good time in the studio this weekend, trimming pieces to in time, filling the kiln!

Asheville, Colors, and Sales!

 Lately, I've been thinking about colors.  Easy to do in a place as beautiful as this.  Was in Hendersonville, NC earlier this week.  I wanted to hug this tree!

 Ate at perhaps my favorite restaurant in Asheville.  Chai Pani!   Daal , Naan and papadum is my all time favorite thing to order.

 Lily pads from the lake.  Just like the pattern, the colors, the everything about this pic.

 Beautiful!

So not sure how this pic turned out like this.  I had been jogging- and saw this and just tried to capture it.  Yet I really like how the colors blend into each other.  

 Same sight still a bit blurry....

 And I sat down on a bench and just listened and looked and this is what I saw.  Beautiful beyond words!

 Loved walking and jogging a bit on this path.  Learned that jogging on leaves is not the smartest thing- as I fell once.  Hard to find one's footing.  All's well though; I'm fine.   I just loved getting away for a couple days.  It was so hard to return.  I so loved time in Asheville and the incredible people I met there too.  Now back to reality; time in the studio all day tomorrow and I plan on posting more pictures of the latest pots.  Sold a bunch to friends I met;  Am delighted that many found new homes.  I recommend that all take a few pieces of pottery with them when they go on trips.  :)
Have a bunch of orders to fill.  Can't get enough time in the studio these days as Christmas will soon be here!

Asheville and Great Firing!

Thanks all for your comments about my kiln loading.  Ended up re-loading the kiln and even figured out how to create more space with no pots near the top!  Here are two from the firing.  Unloaded them and the others this morning---  was ready to leave town to come to Asheville so I put some of them in towels to stay warm and cool down more slowly (unloaded at 200 degrees).  I just couldn't wait any longer; don't think there is any crazing....  time will tell!
Great firing.  Kiln wash or something on one bowl; don't know how it got there.  Will vacuum my kiln before I fire again.

The colors on the trees here are beautiful beyond words.  Interesting to see so many people around; lots and lots of tourists.  I can hardly wait to go running tomorrow mid-day in all this, even though I'm out of shape and it will be a bit grueling.  Oh well; much good to see!

Will definitely go back to the parkway tomorrow pm to take some more pics and just take in all the color.  No wonder so many come here.  It is all just beautiful beyond anything I can describe and I'm here a few days past peak colors.  Even so, it is a bit hard to drive as there is so much to look at.  :)

Question- Less Than One Inch?

Loaded the kin today with bowls today and loaded it so full (height-wise) that the last bowl is less than 1 inch from the top lid.  The skutt manual says leave two inches between the highest piece from the top.  I've heard differently from other potters.  Is it okay to fire it as is or is it better for me to remove that top shallow bowl leaving more space at the top?  Please, please advise.  I plan to fire the kiln tomorrow morning...

Thanks for your insight!

Oh, and the plate stackers are wonderful!  I put extra kiln posts next to them for stability; they really allow one to add more shelves and are so efficient!

First Twelve

 Here are some of the first twelve.  I'll post close-ups of these tomorrow evening hopefully.  In the meantime, here are some of my favorites- and two of these have already found new homes!  I'm so pleased about all this.

 The glaze colors of the first dozen that I fired are wonderful.  This small bowl already sold too as I took some pots to a conference I attended last week.  I recommend keeping a small box of pottery in one's car all the time!  Oh, and I REALLY like the variation in these colors.

I'll definitely use this glaze combo again.  It's the Leah Leitson's Chun Celadon glaze on the entire bowl with floating blue on the inside.
Made some bowls today and added some underglaze onto others.  There just is never enough time for pottery making these days.  At least I have it so.
If I can glaze a bunch more, I'll fire the kiln on Sunday.  Thanks for reading!

Glaze Results! And More Soon...

 Well, I'm still a bit hesitant to glaze a full load, even though I liked some of the glaze combos.  Overall though, the glazes were thin.  That is floating blue on the far right---- and while the picture isn't the best, it's dark blue and brownish.  In the middle i sburke's strong celadon with some  and on the left, burke's celadon.  I'm encouraged by all this.  And because I hope to have a dozen or so ready to sell to colleagues at a conference I attend this week, I took some water out of the glaze buckets and well, the glaze is thicker.  It just takes awhile to figure this thickness stuff out.  Any glaze thickness testing tips.  I have a hydrometer; it didn't work, because I only had 2 gallons or so of glaze mixed....  (5000 grams, I think).

 The rest of this post is a potpourri of photos...  this above shows part of the process I use when I wrote on the pottery-  that's black underglaze applied after the bisque firing.  Then I wipe it off with a sponge, a bit messy.

 Here's the full kiln load.  Put the pieces on broken kiln shelves that I bought at highwater clay during my last visit.  Guess it would help to put kiln wash on the test shelves too!   :)  I will try to remember to show close up pictures of a few of the pieces.

 Meanwhile, here are some gourds from my parent's garden drying out a bit...

 I even picked them!  Me, the city girl loved this.  I don't mind getting dirty; it's just different...

While I wish I could say the lavender is thriving (it is almost dead), here is some pottery awaiting glaze.
Tired.  Excited about unloading the next dozen of pots tomorrow morning.  Thanks for reading!

Glazing- Another Firing Around the Corner

 Kiln firing tomorrow on these pieces.  Put them on broken kiln shelves that I bought just in case they run.  Some of the glazes are a bit thin, so I double dipped them and took copious notes.  Really, really doubt they'll run.

 used these pincher things for the first time.  Once I figure out what glaze combos to use, this will take alot less time! :)

 Put different variations of 3 glazes on these.  Eager to see what they'll look like.  Saturday pm they'll be ready!  Am refiring one piece, which is something I rarely do.

 It is always inspiring to take glaze notes amidst artwork from a handsome almost 2 year old boy.  :)  My sweet nephew Garrett!  Need to post a picture of him.

Melissa--- these are the setter legs for the plate setters.  Got a set of three from highwater clays.  They're two different colors, but they're the same.  See my comments in the last post for more.  They'll be great to use with deep plates, which I'll fire in my next firing.
Tired!  Off to sleep.  More soon... Thanks for reading...

Closer!

 Getting closer and closer to having a full studio and a kiln load of finished, glazed pots.  Sieved 5000 grams of a third glaze late this afternoon.  Sieved it four times.  Much easier to do with the bigger quantities.

 Put another layer of kiln wash on the shelves.  Here they are drying on any flat surface there is.

 Also put a layer of kiln wash on these stackers or whatever they're called- to stack plates and shallow bowls more efficiently...

 Made this last night.  Cut up an apple; sprinkled some brown sugar, cinnamon, small handful of oats and a bit of earth balance spread over it and put it in the oven for 15 minutes at 350.  In a ceramic bowl of course.  Absolutely delicious!  Think it's even better because the apples are from my parent's orchard.  :)

It's also the Eve of the Feast of St. Francis.  I etched the words of a prayer attributed to him, which will be soon dipped in glaze and fired.  My first full firing will be Sunday afternoon.  First though is a test firing of the three glazes I just mixed- all in bigger quantities.  That's on Friday.  Now to find a few small bowls to dip in the glaze...  Getting there!

Another question- please help!

Okay, today I began to sieve the 5000 gram dry mixes I made.  When I added the water I decided to only add 2 gallons.  Less is more.  I told myself I could add more water easily rather than take it away.  Then I sieved each mixture four times.
Question: I only added 2 gallons of water.  Read that about 2.5 gallons was the norm.  It seems that with 2 gallons of water, the glazes have a good 'skim milk' kind of consistency.  Am I measuring this wrong?
I will test the glazes- from the bucket- put them on a few small pieces and fire them to see about the thickness and color...

Gosh, this math and chemistry is wearing me out a bit!  I tell myself that when I get the first few buckets of glaze mixed, then I'll be set for a little while, at least.  :)  Sieving the glazes is my least favorite part... but is much easier with bigger quantities.
Thanks for reading and for your help with this!