We opened the Shadbolt Centre's Soda kiln today but before I share photos of that excitement I'll post some showing the end of the firing last Wednesday. Every single piece of wadded ware was loaded into the kiln on Tuesday by soda workshop leader Arlynn Nobel and technicians Jay MacLennan and Tony Wilson. We were told that it wasn't a tight pack.. all good.…
I've been preparing for this week for all of February. On Monday I took my little collection of bisque-fired stoneware pots to Shadbolt Centre's soda and wood kiln area. Thunder Bay and part-time BC resident Arlynn Nobel has been giving her annual 'Making Pots for Soda-firing' workshop and four of us were invited to join the group for the actual soda firing, to help fill…
How can we be so far into January? I had planned to get a kiln load of earthenware pieces, including some more plates for Raiders made by now. At this point I have some jugbirds and yunomis waiting to be painted and I've thrown and assembled two special Rhytons. The latter just need to dry now and the plan is for Eric to paint them…
My title sounds a bit like a risqué petticoat, but no, it refers to the special, very liquid slips that are sprayed onto bone dry or bisqued stoneware pieces prior to a soda or salt or wood firing. They react to the surrounding flames and will lend a delicious opaque colour, often red-brown, orange or blue, or will encourage orange peeling. There's so much to…
Last Wednesday we, the Soda Workshop people, were invited to show up at the Shadbolt kiln for the big reveal. We waited until everybody was there before removing any of the delicious new ware. Perhaps because we were only eight participants (due to a couple of last-minute drop-outs) there was lots of space around each pot and there seemed to be orange peeling or warm…