Just emptied the kiln again. Got some nice stuff out of this firing. By far, my favorites are these two mugs, glazed with Coyote Light Blue Shino and Pam’s Blue. One is lined with a white glaze. I’ll definitely be making more of these! The pictures really don’t do the colors justice.

I am not going to take any professional-quality photos of my work until after the shows. No sense in setting up the light tent and taking pictures of pieces that might sell. Besides, there’s no time for photography right now. Must! Glaze! Pots!

I’m taking vacation hours from my day job this week to glaze and fire. I plan to fire the kiln two more times - on Saturday, and again on Monday, in preparation of the NAU Mountain Campus Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair.

I brought this kiln-load inside earlier and the pots are singing to me. Did you know that pots sing when they come out of the kiln? Well, they do. More on that in an upcoming post.

For now, it is time to Glaze!

… the tiles are transformed.

The reds came out especially nice, and the shinos did too. I think I’ll be able to pick a few favorites out of these to add to my color palette.

I got a couple of glaze sample kits from Coyote Clay, and am firing about 45 test tiles as I write this post. I am testing the Coyote glazes along with some other glazes that I had on hand. This is what the tiles looked like when they were loaded into the kiln. I am always amazed at how flat and powdery glazes are, until they are fired and transformed into glass and color. This firing also includes a bunch of other stuff including frog items, a sushi set (pictured) that is being refired for (hopefully!) a more attractive color, a whole bunch of spoon rests and some other fun stuff. It is threatening rain, I think the monsoons are starting. Oh, how we need the rain! I just hope it holds off for another hour or so, until the firing is done.

I’ve been decorating greenware. I have to say, doing ceramics as a part-time gig sometimes drags the process out a painfully long time. I feel like I have been working on these pieces for months. And, in fact, I have. So anyway, I’ve been decorating greenware and I think I’ll be able to do a bisque firing this coming weekend. I need to stripe a few more cups and dot some wax burners. The rest of it is going to be bisqued plain.

Here are some of the items I’ve decorated with underglazes. The colors are always washed out when on greenware, and they just POP! after application of clear glaze. I love to see the transformation.

I’ve made a few sales recently and it pleases me every time my theory that everybody likes something different is enforced. This week, a striped mug, two speckled bowls, some tiny bowls glazed in redwood and celadon, and a dotted single-scoop bowl went out the door. Each piece was vastly different from the others. It is nice to be assured that there is something for everyone, and that I can be my normal sporadic self and still attract people to my work.

Pictures from yesterday’s firing. All in all, a success. Click the thumbnails for the big pics.

1. Apricot/orange/green/blue striped mugs. I made two matching
2. Stripy mugs and handle-less teacups
3. Dot “eddy line” plates and spoon rests, before being removed from the kiln.

4. Some sweet little espresso cups. They are very small. I love ‘em!
5. I call these the “fiesta” espresso cups.
6. A plant pot, about six inches in diameter. It has a drain hole in the bottom, too.

7. A small, colorful bowl. Perfect for a single scoop of your favorite frozen treat.
8. The same bowl, upside-down.
9. Another of the same.

10. The underside of the small red bowl.
11. Another small bowl.

Also in this firing, but not shown: A bunch of mugs glazed blue/brown, more spoon rests, a few more small bowls and a chicken roaster!