Twice a year if I'm lucky, is how often I have the special pleasure of helping to unload a kiln full of soda-fired pots. Last Tuesday was one of those days. Alan needed the car so, for for the first time, I Ubered both ways. What a treat! There's no way Cheryl will tolerate late-comers! I had helped to load the front shelves on the…
After spending the summer getting ourselves settled into our new townhouse, and enjoying a Vancouver Island holiday with family, I was delighted to start making pots again. The little downstairs bedroom now has a vinyl floor and houses my wheel, a work table and the slab roller and makes a fine studio. Thanks to TriCity Potter Max Yang's Coquitlam kiln I was able to bisque…
"TriCity Potters have been preparing for our group soda firing at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts for a few months. Last Wednesday twenty potters brought our pots to the Vault kiln for liner glaze, flashing slips and wadding. Some members helped to load the kiln the next day and learn about spraying soda into the kiln at its hottest on the third day. We had…
There's always more to learn when you toy with atmospheric firing. People ask how it went and the answer is 'well 80%', often. That's good. Overall the colours looked encouraging when we opened the kiln door but my batch seems rather brown. I shall refer to my notes and make suggestions to myself to try a different flashing slip, or apply less etc. Every time…
Once again I had the chance to join fellow potters in a firing of the Vault Kiln at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Hoping that having my name on their waiting list would earn me a chance, I had thrown some experimental pieces back in November. Lucky me, I was invited to bring my two cubic feet of ware for this firing. The pots are…