Alan and I got home from a lovely warm week-long holiday in Puerto Vallarta just over a week ago. Since then I have fired the kiln twice, once to bisque-fire all remaining plates and tiles and most of my stoneware pieces for future salt, and the second to glaze-fire tiles, plates and a couple of ordered jugs, to cone 04. I re-fired some of Renee’s and Philippe’s to deal with some crazing and pinholes and the second glaze firing looks to have been very successful. The occasional crazing that appears in my earthenware is troubling. I know that it happens historically and eventually but I’d like to correct it. Any suggestions from fellow potters would be appreciated. I soak my glaze firing for 30 minutes at the end, and that certainly has made my results almost 100 percent smooth. The pinholes are caused by canvas texture under underglazes so smoothing beforehand deals with that.

Meanwhile, all 75 tiles are now fired. Here is how the collection looks after all that.

The quality of underglaze coverage is good, thanks to the careful work of Lesley, Eric, Jane and Karen. Now I gather Lesley is coming out tomorrow to Port Moody to pick them up. We shall wrap them SO carefully for transportation to her home in Courtney, and I shall wait impatiently for photos of the completed installation in a few weeks.

Karen and Lesley painted a tile each when all the work was done. Here are their pieces.

And here are two custom ordered jugs, with selected colours. Thanks for the order Ann H.

Photos of plates in my next blog, and of some of Puerto Vallarta’s tropical flora and fauna soon.