The Magic of "Fire" and Friends

Another Wednesday. Another Hand-building class. Another lesson in letting go...letting the fires do what they will do.

I knew when I went to ClayWorks tonight that there would be pieces waiting for me. What I didn't know was how they might look. I felt confident that The Fish I'd made (see One Fish, Two Fish post) would look pretty much as I imagined. And it did. Sorry, it's not the nicest pic on the planet. And while it might not be the nicest fish on the planet either, I'm pleased with ths little guy.



But what REALLY made my night was The Bowl. This was the piece that I'd felt so ambivalent about...until I thought I'd ruined it by waxing areas too soon. And while I had intended something entirely different in my mind (when I first began the glazing of this piece) I was absolutely delighted with its new identity when it emerged from the "fire."



Though the picture makes it look like a plate (I'm not a photographer) this is the bowl's interior. The bottom is glazed in black. One foot broke a bit. And I'll have to deal with that in some way. Also, I didn't apply the Tahitian glaze as thickly as I should have. (There would have been more blue than brown.) But in a way, I'm glad it turned out the way it did. And the broken foot only makes me love it all the more. I wasn't sure I'd ever try to do a piece like this again. But now, my mind is already seeing The Spawn of The Bowl. :> Sounds like a horror movie doesn't it? (Well...it's Halloween afterall!!!)

Anyway, many thanks to Elaine & Sooz for smoothing this bird's ruffled feathers when she felt she'd ruined The Bowl. And also to Greg Scott for his wisdom in these matters. Thanks to Amy for her insights, her molds and her amazing class at ClayWorks. And thanks to all who watched The Bowl's transformation from a slab of clay into what it is today.
The magic of the kiln's fire. The warmth of friends. It doesn't get much better than this!