Firing Day

I meant to post some more last night but that didn't happen.  I tried this morning but somebody broke blogger.  I think it must have been all of us potters clicking through from site to site to see what everyone is up to.  More likely though, it's all of us clicking through the lefty blogosphere to catch up on the never-ending yet almost over primary season.  Regardless of how blogger got broken, we're back....and on Saturday someone stole my Obama yard sign....again!  

It's firing day here at Kreeger Pottery.  I keep saying that I haven't fired my reduction kiln in a while and that's very true.  I fire big pieces in it every once in a while and when a friend needs a kiln I'll gladly lend it out and throw in a few of my pieces.  As I became addicted to atmospheric firing I sadly gave little thought to the reduction kiln.  Because of that, when I glazed for it I usually just threw on a shino, tenmoku or acero glaze and called it a day. 

I'm realizing that I missed an opportunity to explore what I could do to get work out of the reduction kiln to relate to my salt, soda and wood-fired pots.  Once my soda kiln tanked, rather than explore these options, I bisqued, glazed and transported my pots 3.5 hours to Mark's kilns out at Stonepool to fire.  It was safe and I love salt firing....really love it.  But it isn't the easiest thing to rely on someone else's kiln....especially that far away.  I always love spending time out at Stonepool but that much time away from my family isn't so much fun.  This time of year, it's nearly impossible because of the gallery.  

I really used this cycle to try a variety of new glazing ideas to get the play of textures, glazes and layers that I'm used to getting in my salt-fired pots.  So, it's basically a kiln full of tests and new ideas.  I was worried about putting that many new glazes in this time....now that I'm waiting for cones to start dropping I'm getting a little more anxious about it all.

If it doesn't work out as I had planned, oh hell....I have a few new ideas and tricks to try for the next salt or wood firing and I'll also just try a new round of ideas for the next reduction kiln.  

Oh, and because I haven't tried enough new stuff lately, I have a couple hundred pounds of earthenware to play around with.  After checking out the blogs and all of the great stuff out there and enjoying my new Ayumi Horie mug I thought I would give it a shot.  More on that decision to come....as well as some other thoughts....but now, I have a nice earthenware mug that is full of coffee and calling my name.