Slow going

Its been a busy couple of weeks on the personal front so potting has taken a bit of a back seat. I have made it out to my "studio"--still in the garage--a few times but it has been rather hit and miss.  We moved the kiln over to the new studio and I managed to complete enough pieces for a bisque fire and then, after a day of glazing, a glaze fire was also completed in the new studio.

The sun was setting and the kiln had heated up to 1083 degrees. 

 As night time came, and the kiln temp reached around 2300 degrees, I looked out my kitchen window and was amazed to find that looking across the backyard I could see the red hot peering out at me from under the lid of the kiln. Really cool!  I went out to take some pictures to share, unfortunately, they only give you an idea of what was there to look at....some things you have to see in person I guess.....here's the best I could do.

It looks like nothing so I hestitated on whether or not to even post, but seeing the glow across your yard is rather cool.  You have to admit that is pretty hot!!! 

And the results.....

I did some experimenting with the kiln settings--ummm--note to self  "just leave it alone". (Fired med cone 6 with a 5 minute hold--should have not done the hold)  I did learn a lot, the bummer is I had a few pieces that the glaze ran onto the kiln shelf.  Oops!  However, the rest turned out great.  Here is a little sampling.

Turquoise and dessert sand on a light weight clay. 

Perfect Good morning, Good Afternoon or/and Good Evening Coffee cups.  

 

SALSA BOWLS!!!!  A personal favorite

 One of my favorite things to make is a salsa bowl.  I think it is because they are so functional!  I use mine for nuts, olives, salsa, guacamole and sour cream.  Anything, they are perfect! (I personally think everyone needs a Salsa bowl and a couple GP-- general purpose--bowls.  For this salsa bowl I used 4 different glazes which produced an amazing color spectrum

I think the greatest reward of potting is when, after you have given your time to mold and create a piece and then you give your time to bisque and glaze a piece, you get to see the finished product. In this case the extra hold time in the heat of the kiln did produce some wonderful results.  However, I think I will put experimenting on hold for a while.   

I guess it is the same as in life, some extra time in the heat can produce a beautiful result, however, I have discovered that, if given a choice, its not necessary to undergo that "extra" time.  For me, I would rather stay out of that time in the extra heat.  Yet for those times when I chose to stay where I shouldn't have, either in my thoughts, my actions, or my situations I am thankful to God that He can make something beautiful out of my pain and out of my bad choices. He knows we are but dust, we will make wrong choices and He loves us no matter what.  Wow.  Nothing can change His love for us.