Yesterday turned out to be a really wonderful day. I've been working towards two firings for the last month or more so began my Friday by getting out to my kiln shed and glazing all the earthenware pieces that I'd waxed the night before. It turns out that Greenbarn's acrylic-type wax resist needs to rest overnight anyway (and even then doesn't really repel glaze like…
In spite of a little overnight snowfall five Raiders showed up in Port Moody on Wednesday. The sun was shining so the ice on the road and walkways was quickly melted. I just managed to get another group of plates bisque-fired and cool enough to take out of the kiln that morning and I didn't want to slip while carrying them from the kiln shed…
Any time you fire with flame rather than predictable electricity you are going to have surprises. Whether your work is in a reduction-firing in a gas kiln, in a wood kiln or a salt or soda firing you can never be sure how things will work out. There are sometimes serendipitous happenings and other times when the surfaces are flat, rough, crunchy or the wrong…
After waiting three suspenseful days the fifteen TriCity potters who'd taken part in a first group soda firing showed up at 3pm on Tuesday afternoon to see what we'd done. When I arrived a few tall pieces from the very top had been removed but I quickly snapped a photo of the front section of the load. With quite a few blue slip sprayed pieces…
Last year the TriCity Potters decided to ask for a group soda firing at Shadbolt Centre and we were given a slot for this April. To get prepared we invited Fredi Rahn, who teaches there and who has lots of experience with soda firing, to give us a presentation in January. She discussed which clays to use and explained that the outsides of the pots…