Gas Kiln Revealed

The gas kiln was loaded a week ago today. This morning, Julie & her Intermediate class were there to unload it. Susan & I volunteered to help. We both had pieces in the firing we were anxious to see. But even more, we wanted to soak up the experience. And it was...like Christmas!

Yes, Virginia. There really is a Santa Claus. And he comes down through the gas kilns of all the good little pottery studios all over the world! And this is what it looks like after he visits!



As we unloaded, I learned so much. We ooh-ed & ahh-ed over each piece as it came out. And as Julie commented on the glazes -- why things worked, why they didn't -- I found lots of pieces fitting into place that hadn't before. I'm so glad she was willing to let me help...and learn.

Sooz had some wonderful pieces in this firing, including her bird-lidded pot. The glazes on it are luscious & vibrant. It was the most remarkable glazing I have seen her do.

I had 20 pieces in the firing. Most of them are Christmas presents. The plate was an experiment from Amy's hand-building class. I was pleased with most all of them. Nothing ran onto the kiln shelves. Nothing cracked. Some of the glaze combinations were worth remembering. Here's the whole kit n' kaboodle. (Not a great pic but I was in a hurry to get back to work.)



But the Santa of the Gas Kiln did bring me some pieces I'm very happy with. One of them actually has "reindeer" on it, although I doubt that's what the cave artist who did the original painting had in mind when he/she created it back in prehistoric France.



There were five of the cave art themed cups in all. Glorified test tiles, really. But a step beyond where I started. They were the pieces about which I cared the most...the ones I hoped would offer me some nice possibilities for further exploration. The images aren't mine, but borrowed from artists who lived thousands of years ago. My thanks go out to them...and to Greg Scott for his advice on how to glaze these.

Here is my fave of the group. (I almost trimmed through the bottom of this cup, so it was the underdog, form-wise.) But I really like the surface decoration.



The gas kiln loads again one week from this Sunday. Santa's working overtime. And so am I! Back to work!