Saggars Revealed

This morning, Kim, Adrienne & I met Jim Whalen at Clayworks. The gas kiln was still at 638 degrees so we had to wait awhile before we could unload the saggars we fired yesterday in Jim's workshop. It was worth the wait.

We unloaded & unpacked twelve saggars.

Most of the plates created to hold the saggars cracked during the firing. But there is a silver lining to that - lots of shards to use in our next firing. The pots were set on tables & carts for workshop attendees to claim.

I wish I could see all of these pots, once they've been cleaned and polished.

Clayworks artists had some nice results. Here are some of Cindy's cats....

...and just a few of Kim's pieces.

My flock has yet to be cleaned but offers a nice number of promising birds. Some will find their way into upcoming sales. A couple I'll hold on to as mementos of Jim Whalen's wonderful workshop.

Thank you Jim for everything you shared with us! I learned a lot & am looking forward to putting those lessons to work in a future barrel firing.

Jim Whalen Workshop Part 2

Today at Clayworks, we gathered for the second half of Jim Whalen's workshop. The students came prepared with hard burnished pieces and pots sporting the various terra sigilattas we'd made in the first workshop. It took two tables to hold them all.

Jim provided bag upon bag of various sawdusts and chemicals like copper sulfate and cobalt carbonate. He also brought a special slip for resist raku. Attendees brought various combustibles.

Sweet gum "gumballs" were a favourite for the saggars...

As was spanish moss (thanks Cinder) ....

And there were grasses and flowers of all descriptions.

I was so busy layering my own saggar I forgot to take pix of the process, but there were some real beauties prepared for the Clayworks gas kiln.

Once the saggars were loaded, we moved on to the barrel-firing portion of the workshop. Jim brought his own 55-gallon drum and we also used our very own, beloved Model T.

Here, Kim & Jim look on as the barrels burn. Someone began singing "Ring of Fire."

As if on cue, and not missing a beat, Elaine "flashed" the crowd.

A sawdust-only barrel firing doesn't take too long to reveal the wonders within.

While the barrels were firing, Jim showed us how he creates his resist raku pieces. That's what I loved MOST about this workshop --- experimenting with 3 different forms of firing --- all in one day!

It's always exciting when the raku kiln is opened. (And sometimes amateur photographers get caught in the act).

Once again, sawdust plays its part in the firing process. Jim's pot (covered in dried slip) went straight from the kiln into an already smoldering container of sawdust. From there it would go into a closed container for reduction.

Then, it was back to the barrels to see what treasures the ashes would reveal.

Here, a sampling of the barrels' bounty. Some lovely pieces!

I'm sorry I didn't get any photos of the raku resist pieces. Many were taken home for cleaning and I hope that we'll get a chance to see the finished pieces once the resist is removed and the pieces are waxed/finished. Tomorrow we unload the 12 saggars from the gas kiln and I can't wait to see how all those pieces turn out. Likely, they'll be the most colorful of the firings as we added lots and lots of botanicals and fuming agents to the saggar mix.

Look for pix from the saggars sometime tomorrow!

Barrel Firing #8

We arrived at Clayworks at noon, anxious to see the results we got from our 8th barrel firing. ( Pictured left to right - Elaine, Amy and Kim).

Everything had cooled & was ready to be unloaded.

Pieces that were nearer the top retained much of the terra sig colour, whilst pieces that were buried deep in the sawdust showed varying degrees of black.

There wasn't too much breakage. ( The jagged pot to the left was a shard to begin with.) But for the first time ever, I had bird carnage. Two of my birdlets lost their heads.

The "survivors" weren't quite what I'd expected (but what is?) Also, these guys are wet from cleaning so they may not wind up quite so dark. Still, placement, I think, is critical. And I'm looking forward to seeing how Jim Whalen loads the barrel when our second part of his workshop takes place on March 21st.

Still, the reason for the firing was to determine how well the various types of terra sig we made reacted with different clay bodies. They all adhered well to my test birds & that was, for me, a resounding success. And I really liked the way this little one turned out.

I'll likely be MIA (again!) with my blogging for a couple of weeks. Sis & I are headed for Sicily for some R & R and while I hope I can blog from there, we'll have to see. Should be quite an adventure with many photo ops...especially since Elaine gifted me with quints! :)

Arrivederci!!!!

Terra Sig and Raku

It doesn't get better than that!

I went to Clayworks today, geared up for a special raku firing at 2PM. I got there 3 hours early, figuring I'd take care of some terra sig prep for our upcoming barrel firing. (We'll be testing the different varieties of terra sig we made in Jim Whalen's workshop on 5 different clay bodies.) What a pleasure it was to find Jim, himself, at the studio. He dropped by to drop off another terra sig, and ended up staying for more than 5 hours to help us spray the mixtures on some of our test pieces.

I've never used the spraying technique though I've always wanted to. Usually, I just brush the terra sig on the piece and buff it. But, hey? I'm game.

Jim demo-ed surface deco too, using a sponge Elaine created to add wax resist to one of Kim's pots.

Once the resist is added, and the next coat of terra sig is applied, I can't wait to see how this one turns out in our Barrel Firing test on 2/21.

I sprayed five birds for test purposes, using four different types of terra sig. The bird clay bodies are Helios and Orangestone. I'm also going to test Loafers Glory, but had yet to model those pieces. (Something I did later tonight.) Given that Valentines Day is but a week away (and I'm a copycat) I prepped a few hearts ala Elaine for the test firing.

Many thanks to Jim Whalen. The second part of Jim's workshop isn't scheduled until 3/21, yet he was at Clayworks today, sharing his terra sig & his expertise with three of his students. Check out his Honorable Mention in the Fourth Annual Vasefinders Nationals.

Jim left shortly before the Raku Gurus -- John and Joe -- arrived. Time to switch gears and get ready for raku. It's a good thing I learned how to use the sprayer as I needed it to apply a special "wash" to the pieces I'd be putting in the kiln.

The first firing included a couple of large pots thrown by John and Joe. When the pieces were ready, they were carried from kiln to banding wheels, where they were sprayed with alcohol. Go Joe!

Hot pot!


Simultaneously, John was showering his pot with alcohol.

Another hot pot!

One of the things I love the most about these "extra curricular" firings are the friends & family who turn out to watch, including some canine friends. Meet Shelby, beloved 4-footed of Joe & Melissa.

Shelby was shivering so I loaned her my coat. I thought she was cold. Though in retrospect I think she was shivering with anticipation, anxious to see her master Joe's pot which was now in a bed of sawdust...

Finally, Joe & John's pots had the chance to chill out.

And so did Elaine who was watching the proceedings and cheering us on. And yes, Shelby loaned her my coat. What's a little dog hair between friends?

I had a couple of pieces in the second firing, including my Raku Zoo 2 critter.

In advance, it was decided that Amy and I would share a banding wheel for one of her bowls, and my pieces. We were ready when the pieces were exposed...

Pieces in place, Amy does the honours.

Amy had some lovely results which I'm sure she'll share at some point here. And I was semi-satisfied with my Raku Zoo Critter #2. He's but another part of my raku menagerie of learning.

Wow. What a long post. But it's been a long day...and a wonderful one. Time to wash the terra sig off my hands and greet the Sandman with the scent of raku-firing in my hair.

Barrel Firing #7 Results

I arrived at Clayworks at 11:30 this morning, 14 hours after we lit the wood in BF #7. I expected to find a cold barrel. Instead, I found embers still a-glow. You can't see them here but I assure you...these pieces were too hot to pick up without thick gloves.
Patience is a virtue but by 1:30 we were way past ready to discover what treasures lay beneath the ashes. Kim's leaves  turned out quite nicely.  She had about 40 in "Model T."  (For those new to this blog, we name our barrels.  We also have one we call Bentley, a small trash can named Go Cart and another small one given to me by my sister which I call CindaMot. )  
Here, a selection of various potters' pieces awaiting cleaning.  
And here, a few of Kim's mezuzahs
Out of the 21 birds I had in Model T, only 3 or 4 show promise (at least to me).  The rest will likely find their way into a future firing. (Ah, the quest for colour)   

Cindy took her winged cats home for clean-up.

While Kim, who provided the pine for the holiday firing (Thank you Kim!) washed her many pieces at Clayworks.

I can only speak for myself, but this firing seemed to lack the vibrant colours we've gotten in past firings. The general consensus was that too much oxidation took place. But there were also cold spots in the barrel.
My favourite birds from this firing came from the small trash can, CindaMot. Sawdust only. No chemicals. And I used cow pies rather than charcoal. The silken terra sig finish was unmarred and rich in blacks, browns and whites.

Next weekend many of us will attend Jim Whalen's Barrel-Firing workshop. His work is amazing and I'm sure he'll have many tips that will help us in BF #8!