Unloading the Wood Kiln

Here is a quick video of Kass and Jenny unbricking the Wood kiln.
More pics and video to follow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtIvC-ThT38

I have included a post by my instructor Tony Clennell about the firing.
http://smokieclennell.blogspot.com/2010/02/tired-bones.html

Image update

Here are some of the pieces from my last kiln firing.

The first set is on the way!

So I have started on my bowls for the empty bowls fundraiser at the Gardiner museum. I am considering glazing them with maiolica and leaving areas open for terra sig. I am not sure it can take the thermal shock yet. I am centering the bowl on the wheel in preparation for trimming.

I'm going on strike till winter gives in to my demands!

I had a successful kiln firing by my standards today. Which was nice considering how miserable I have been all week. I can't sleep, eat, think, read, write or draw. I have to post the pics soon. It was a good firing because the glaze melted fairly consistently and there was little snow in the decoration. (I will explain this in a latter blog that I shall write about maiolica glaze flaws which should be exciting and I'll have tonnes of pics for that one.). I had originally planned on throwing some large composite forms for the upcoming wood firing.  Then decided to take it easy and throw small vases and pitchers.(Jugs! sorry Tony Jugs!)

Empty Bowls

It's time to start thinking about making soup bowls for the Gardiner museum's empty bowls event.

I am not sure what I am going to do this year but look forward to the challenge of making some interesting soup bowls to donate to this worthy cause.

Wednesday May 19, 5–8 pm
$45
Members Priority Tickets go on sale February 1
Public Tickets go on sale March 1
Join us for the 18th annual Empty Bowls. Purchase a ticket, choose a bowl, and savour sumptuous soups by some of Toronto’s famed chefs, brought together by Chef Jamie Kennedy. All proceeds benefit Anishnawbe Health Toronto, an aboriginal community-based health centre.

http://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/eveelc.aspx#specialevents

A bump in the road.

I unloaded my first earthenware reduction firing of the year. This was intended as a test for a partial reduction firing that ended in oxidation. I wasn't sure I would be able to reduce the body and trap the black iron oxide under the terra sigillata during the late oxidation stage. The thickness of the terra sig has a large impact on the reduction retention. The next stage will be applying a maiolica glaze and firing the pieces in an electric kiln. The piece in the photograph below was broken as I was moving the ware cart from the kiln pad to the kiln room. I thought I would be able to make it past the bump in the floor without breaking anything. Unfortunately I was wrong. I will blog about this later after I photograph the pieces before the maiolica firing on Monday.