For the last few weeks I’ve been concentrating on making enough stoneware pieces for a soda firing. I finished making slightly more than the allocated two cubic feet of ware in early October as I wasn’t sure how much I’d see after cataract surgery on Oct 4th. All went well and within 24 hours I was astonished to see bright blue, and whites that I haven’t seen in years. I can see leaves on trees in the distance! Now I must wait some months to have my left eye fixed too. Meanwhile I’m managing well but seeing some things yellow when they aren’t, is disconcerting.
I was able to spray my pots with flashing slips, get them bisque-fired (along with two from a previous soda firing that have to be re-bisqued) and then glaze their interiors and glue wadding to all. Optimistically I sprayed blue slip on several, telling myself that they’d become beautifully orange-peely. All were delivered to Shadbolt soda kiln a week ago. It turned out that there was extra space so I was able to leave all my pieces.
Next day they were loaded by the technicians and they didn’t need us all to spray soda so I didn’t do that. Full of anticipation I joined most of the other potters at 1.30pm yesterday for unloading. Unlike the firings during the worst of Covid time, now that we are all double-vaxxed we were able to unload together. We still must wear masks, and of course we were outside all the time but it was good to see each other’s work and discuss some. Groups of four erected huge shelters and they were essential as the rain poured! We each removed our own pieces from the shelves rather than the earlier system of passing pots along a line. Safety protocols are still a thing. After the front shelves were emptied we carefully scraped all the glass from them and applied fresh kiln wash before we could start to unload the back pots.
Sad to report, I wasn’t feeling very happy with the surfaces on mine, setting them on a table nearby and hoping for better results as we unloaded more. It’s always better to just take them home and study them next day. Then it was time to clean the rest of the shelves, pack up our pots and head home. Perhaps I should have chatted with the techs and others about what I could have done differently but I just felt disappointed and left. I know that I haven’t embraced soda firing properly. Others use the system to create delightful effects, especially Sharon Reay! But I know that what I strive for is salt firing orange peel. Sometimes pieces get that in soda, or the variety of peely bumps and good colours where they aren’t, is pleasing. Linda and Jay mentioned that the firing had been uneven but that they’d sprayed in the usual amount of soda. Whatever the reason, I have rather a lot of pots which I know can be much improved by a second firing in the soda kiln. The two re-fires are now just fine.
I sorted the work into three groups and I have a small third that are just fine, a third that might do and a third that will be put aside to wait for the next opportunity to be fired. I know the middle group would be much juicier and colourful with another session of soda and flame too. I may post better photos of individual pieces soon and you can tell me what you think.
So I headed home feeling rather glum. As I drove through Burnaby, past Robert Burnaby Park which I’ve never visited, the sun came out and the wet yellow leaves still on the trees just glowed against grey skies to the North. I found the home of BC Ceramics collector Tyler Fritz. He had saved a wee historic Thomas Kakinuma bird for me, and allowed me to take a good look at his remarkable collection of mid to late twentieth century BC pots. I’ll show photos of some in my next blog. But here is my charming TK bird.
Another cheering event was a message from Jonathon in London, Ont., showing me his current arrangement of my jugbirds and an egg-box in the gallery window for a Halloween display. OK!
At home I was done, so Al and I treated ourselves to supper at Taps & Tacos for beer and delicious tacos. We ate inside, separately on the upper level for the first time, and I felt better! So for sure, yesterday felt like a day of mixed blessings.
Here are some more stoneware pieces that I threw the other day. They’ll wait patiently for firing but now I must fish out the earthenware and work on special orders of plates and jugbirds right away. I shall continue to ponder my passion for salt firing and hope for chances to join like-minded potters. Could I get to Medalta next year?
This was informative but I’m sorry you had some disappointment with the result. Is it just the texture of the pots that you are unhappy with? I know that orange peel finish that salt glaze has and I love it but i also love your soda fire work. I once got a container I use for my wooden spoons from the shelf at my daughter’s college where her professor would put stuff he wasn’t happy with for anyone to take! I love it even if he didn’t!
Kathy, the soda should make the surfaces smooth and bright. On some of these pieces there are areas that are dry and rough. Also I know they can be much more exciting and that it’s worth giving them another cooking. I think the pots were too close together.. the flames carrying the soda need to be able to move all around the ware. Thanks for asking though.