So, I'm about due for a "real" post. With more than fifty words. I'm also due for some real throwing time, and while we're at it, a vacation that includes white sand beaches but excludes being in the car for eight hours. But that's sort of another story. So we're almost done with July, and I'm almost done with this week, but I have been progressing with pottings and such. Also, this:
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| Is that our dog? |
Tempy got her hairs cut (almost two weeks ago, now?) and did just fine. Much more traumatizing for us than her. She's acutally pretty relieved about not being so fluffy, which is a good thing, given the current heatwave.
Speaking of which, you know you live in rural South Dakota when everybody just leaves their car windows down in the office parking lot on account of the heat. I haven't yet figured out, culturally, if it is appropriate/expected/necessary to lock the doors when you leave the windows down. Cause, you know, seriously?
So anyway, Tempy got her haircut and has recovered quite a bit already (in the cuteness department) but it was really touch-and-go there for the first couple days. Suddenly it was all, "Oh, so there really is some poodle mixed into that doodle after all!" And then yesterday she got all shaved down again for ye olde snip-snip. Also known, on our itemized vet receipt, as an "ovariohysterectomy." I think. I'm too lazy to get up and go check the receipt (it's in the other room) but that was a pretty intense word when they could have just been all: SPAYED. So there's that.
Ah, yes: pots.
Well, I got some out of the kiln. Overall it was a very good firing. Good results, good colors, good glazing, good time. Fired to the right cone range, which is always a plus. Unfortunately, totally had a cracked plate in one of my sets. Bottom of the kiln, last plate out. Think about it: unloading five levels of pots, each one more satisfying. Success! Colors! Bowls! Plates! Vases! Yay! Then you unveil the bottom tier and there are four plates, sitting pretty. Beautiful. The glazing was perfect. One by one you pull them out, check the feet for any glaze mishaps, and hand them off to the wife (or hubs, or studio assistant, I mean, whoever helps you with these things), and then as you take number four, the last thing out of the kiln, you see that the plate has cracked along the pea catcher, a deep crack (all the way, actually) that runs for about 120 degrees around the flare of the plate. Kinda sucks. So THAT set, commissioned, bought and paid for, will not be shipped and I'm back to the wheel.
However, if anybody wants three BEAUTIFUL matching plates, just let me know.
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| The firing. I liked it, overall. Some pretty colors, and some colors that needed to be tried, even though they're not quite pretty. |
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| This set did turn out (the blues). On the right you see a sample of the now trio. Some test bowls in the upper left to play around with some overlapping glaze combos. |
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| The bowls that went to the plate. These I did send merrily along to my patron. They'll just have to wait on a set of plates that doesn't decide to ruin my otherwise perfect firings! |
So that was the firing. I'm in a hurry to get on to the next round as I have a couple of time-sensitive commissions/projects that don't have a whole lot of wiggle room. If I don't get more throwing time soon I may have to fire a less-than-full bisque kiln which would be less than ideal. But we'll see. I still have a couple weeks before I get to that level of crunch. But I'd rather not push it. In the meantime here are my throwing projects over the last couple weeks:
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| Some bigger-ish bowls of the slipping variety. |
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| Drying bowls. They're pretty inside, I promis. |
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| Mountain 1, drying. |
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| Mountain 2, dry. With bowl. Bowl might not pull through. It's a bit clunky for what it is, in almost all ways. |
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| Vase, on the wheel. I think this one will go all mountainy, too. |
Here's what we've got to look forward to:
(Watch on YouTube, or listen to the first single at Switchfoot.com)
(Watch on YouTube or remix your own version of the video!)
