Thursday, June 12, 2008

long time, no posts

It seems that each step takes so much longer than before--even the r&r takes more time! I am amazed to see that it has been 10 days since my last post.

The last firing had some hitches. I had planned to make this a 'red' firing--everything would have my 'red' glaze because that glaze requires a special firing schedule that other glazes don't profit from. However, we had the children's hand-print plaques that had to be fired right away so the firing was not exclusively 'red' and I had a set of test tiles to fire that do like that kind of schedule. Otherwise it was all 'red'. I get excited about my red glaze--but it is frequently pointed out to me that I don't really have a red glaze--I have a brown glaze! I know what my critics are talking about--but to me it is a gorgeous red--OK brick-red if you insist. At some point during the firing cycle the circuit breaker was tripped turning the kiln off early. I don't know how early. I know that the kiln did reach the top temperature and start back down. The schedule calls for a soak at 1880 F for 30 minutes. I checked the kiln as it was about to reach the 1880 F point. When I next checked--a couple hours later--the kiln had been shut off. So I don't know how much of the soak it got, if any. It seemed to me that I did not get as good a 'red' as I have in the past.

When I take photos of the pieces in the studio they look VERY red. But that is the camera/lights/settings/computer? And I don't know how to adjust it.

Here are some of the pieces--but remember they don't really look this red:



This vase (remember the punch'ong design from long ago?) is more the color of the baking dish--not so red as in this photo.

5 comments:

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Hi Gay,
I just discovered your blog and am enjoying it. The glaze looks reddish to me!... I can relate to your bit about test tiles. I have to make some too next week. Not my favorite activity but, as has been recently reinforced by a bad experience, I KNOW I'm supposed to make 'em!

Ron said...

Hi Gay, I think the pots look really nice. I like that glaze a lot. The vase with the iron inlay came out great. I like the contrast that it gives the deco. Well done. You should name the glaze 'Gay's Red' and then no one can argue with you about the color. You're the artist; you have final say.

Hannah said...

Hi, I really like the wee squared dish. Lovely shape, and I agree with Ron, you call it red. I call my black pots black but people regularly tell me they're brown too. We just need to educate them to our way of thinking.

doug Fitch said...

Well as a user of red earthenware clay, I would definately call that red! Well done, good to see pots coming through. I like the stamp deco, it would work really well under a thin slip.
Love form England
Doug

chaetoons said...

Gorgeous red Gay !!!
Lovely vase too !!
Would that i could be so lucky to achieve something similar ....!
Hugs
Chae