To follow yesterday’s blog I’ll add another brief one now to show better photos of my recent soda-fired pots. I think TriCity Potters were pleased overall with the results of our second group soda firing. Most people were happy with the flashing and some generous orange peel effects.

I was most anxious about my Tall Bird. He wound up 16″ tall and in spite of lots of flame and soda, being right at the front of the kiln, he has retained some cheerful areas of colour to contrast with the light orange peel. He can be used as a vase – I should take a photo of him like that, and could also be a pouring vessel for celebratory libations.

The other pot that I hoped would be fairly uniformly affected by flame and soda is a larger grooved piece, with a sit-down-in lid. I guess it can be a Cookie Jar. I suspect there will be more pots carved in this way in my future.

Otherwise I had optimistically brought along some pieces from the previous firing that I felt were rather dead or flat. Re-firing has really given them some life, so they’ll be added to my stock, here in my studio or at Circle Craft. The teapot has blue orange peel all over, albeit a little lighter blue than before. I am looking forward to seeing what salt workshop leader Jackie Frioud recommends for flashing slips in June.

One of my jugbirds also is saved by its second soda firing, and is now glazed all over (in spite of having no glaze applied to its outside).

I experimented with the wood and soda/salt firing custom of loading pieces stacked. These little ice cream bowls bear wadding marks on their rims where they were kept apart but are smooth to the touch. The method does require that the rims are exactly the same size.

One mug proved very comfortable to hold and is a fine example of Lorna Meaden’s yellow flashing slip. I’ll use that again!

The last jug bird shown here is large and practical, and is showing off its warm coat and juicy beak.