Mere Mortals

"The fire is a transformative force of nature. The kiln is a tool to cajole, contain, and direct the fire, more than a precise instrument of control. We do what we can to create what is in our understanding the best opportunities for the ware: auspicious circumstances in the choice of clay, turning of forms, and in glazing, stacking, and firing. Ultimately, though, the kiln has the final say, which is as it should be. After all, the conditions inside the kiln are meant for the pots and not ones we humans could survive. We cannot go inside, but stand outside moving things along. The pots take on the kiln's fire for better or for worse. Those do so for the better go on to bring that glow to their user's hands and homes."


~~Mark Shapiro, 1990, from an essay describing the early days at his Stonepool Pottery


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Still Waiting

I sort of took a day off on Tuesday.

There's much to do to prepare for the solo show in Asheville, attend to all the business stuff that I dropped to focus on the final push, etc. There's still a mess of slip and glaze to be mopped up in the shop. But I put a few things away and made room for the pots!!

All in all, though, it was a restful day. It felt odd not to be pushing so hard every minute and felt good that the work had been done. As it always does. There's so much satisfaction and relief that comes when that last brick goes into the door of the kiln and the fire is lit. As if the hard part was done and that the firing would be the frosting on the cake. But I can only say that because I always have a great crew that helps out tending to the fire. John Simmons brought all of his wood firing experience to bear and allowed me to take a nap while he single handedly made the transition from the lower firebox to the grates. A job that usually take two!

Alan Gratz made his first appearance since his teaching trip to Japan last Spring. He was focused and steady with his stokes and claimed at one point that he was "born to burn"!! (T-shirt idea!)

Micah Cain stopped by and helped us develop the new salting technique. While John cut the 1/2 inch thick boards to length, Micah loaded the boards up with salt. We then inserted the boards between the opposing stoke doors and rested them there so that the salt vaporized almost completely before the board was consumed. All the while Alan kept the firebox full of wood. [I have pictures on my phone to put here later, sorry]



Last night I took a peek into the kiln which was still about 450°F. Without melting my lense, I got this shot of a big jug with some pinkish blushes from the back of the kiln! I will get it unloaded on Thursday. With 3 inches of fiber insulation, it takes a while to really cool down, and I'm still a little gun-shy from my dunting in the past.

Best Foot Forward Auction

Here is the piece I donated to the Benefit Auction for Drew Johnson.

The auction includes an amazing collection of work by an impressive group of generous artists,

Heather Alexander, Dan Anderson, Linda Arbuckle, Posey Bacopoulos, Tiffany Bailey, Marian Baker, John Balistreri, Tom Bartel, Deborah Bedwell, Curt Benzle, Sandy Blain, Catherine Boswell, Joe Bova, George Bowes, Bob Brady, Lucy Breslin, John Britt, Sally Brogden, Bill Buckner, Richard Burkett, Jon Burns, Larry Bush, Doug Casebeer, Donna Causland, Ceramics Monthly, Eva Champagne, Andrew Cho, Linda Christianson, Autumn Cipala, Naomi Cleary, Meridith Coen, Nan Coffin, Elaine Coleman, Tom Coleman, Jim Connell, Pat Coughlin, Charlie Cummings, Malcolm Davis, Chandra DeBuse, Josh DeWeese, Eddie Dominguez, Lynn Duryea, Thaddeus Erdahl, Mark Errol, Jana Evans, Lauren Faust, Kathryn Finnerty, Yoshi Fuji, Erin Furimsky, John Glick, Raymond Gonzalez, Heidi Grew, Chris Gustin, Holly Hanessian, Molly Hatch, James Herring, Pam Herring, Jennifer Hill, Anna Calluori Holcombe, Niel Hora, Ayumi Horie, Steve Howell, Matt Hyleck, Sarah Jaeger, Jeremy Jernigan, Drew Johnson, Mark Johnson, Garth Johnson, Brian Jones, Kristen Kieffer, yours truly, Phyllis Kloda, Alix Knipe, Lebeth Lammers, Sandy Lance, Martina Lantin, Fritz Lauenstein & June Raymond, Mary Law, Jim Lawton, Simon Levin, Jenny Lind, Suze Lindsay, Matt Long, Jiri Lonsky, Tyler Lotz, Scott Lykens, Andrew Martin, Missy McCormick, Nancy McCroskey, Kent McLaughlin, Joe Molinaro, Mudtools, Kate Murray, Richard Nickel, Kevin Nierman, Richard Notkin, Kelly O'Briant, Mary Obodzinski, Dandee Pattee, Anne Perrigo, Chris Pickett, Don Pilcher, Elise Pincu, Pete Pinnell, Pottery Making Illustrated, Rainbow Gate Pottery, Jeremy Randall, Beau Raymond, Scott Rench, Lee Rexrode, Lindsay Rogers, Chloe Rothwell, Nigel Rudolph, Cheyenne Chapman Rudolph , Cassie Ryalls, Shoji Satake, Kristin Schimik, Mike Schmidt, JoAnn Schnabel, Bonnie Seeman, Nancy Selvin, Leland Shaw, Jane Shellenbarger, Marge Shore, Sandy Simon, Gay Smith, Nan Smith, Collette Smith, Keith Smith, Kevin Snipes, Jane Spangler, Chris Staley, Studio Potter, Stephanie Stuefer, Sarah Tancred, Shoko Teruyama, Julie Tesser, Diana Thomas, John Tilton, Sara Truman & Naomi Mostkoff, Tom Turner, Rimas Visgirda, Mikey Walsh, Wynne Wilbur, Lana Wilson, Varian Wolf, Stephen Wolochowicz, Jenchi Wu, Rosie Wynkoop, Gwendolyn Yoppolo

I know from my own experience a few years ago, how important an event like this auction can help in so many ways to cover the numerous bills to be paid after an accident. We all benefit to be part of a community of brilliant and talented ceramic artists that are so generous with their gift.

A big shout out to Linda Arbuckle and Charlie Cummings for putting this all together.

Bid high and bid often !

Details

While adjunct potter, John Simmons is stoking up the kiln, I'm taking some downtime and downloaded a bunch of pictures from the last couple of days deco-rotation highlights. But I wanted to quickly share with you new strategy I'm employing in this firing, soda ash rocks!

I'm not sure what to call these things, but Emily Murphy uses them to salt (soda) her kiln. But basically they're a mixture of soda ash, baking soda, and whiting (calcium carb) which is mixed with lots of sawdust (but no dirt). Here's a link that explains the whole deal. Check it out.

Ironically I've been having trouble getting good sodium penetration in the upper part of the kiln. Hopefully these will take the place of salt cups that I've used in the past.
Here is a contextural shot showing the balls in place.

I'll try to get around to posting more deco highlights on the cooling days as well as some before and after! Follow the firing on my twitter feed, where I will make updates throughout the day.

Thanks.

Snow Creek Controlled Burn

After a long day of loading the kiln and frequent trips back to the shop to glaze pots to fill in those gaps Firing 36 is on! Miracles do happen!

I just had a nice visit from Stacey and the girls and probably the best fried egg sandwich this side of Johnny's Diner. My hot coffee was brought in my rockin' Tom White mug. It's appropriate since it's been a rocking session in the studio and this dirt farmer is hopeful for a bountiful harvest come Thursday.


My neighbor Courtney is doing some burning today, too. So if you come down Snow Creek Rd today don't be surprised to see a lot of smoke! There will be a whole lot of new pots coming your way from our Snow Creek pottery mile!

Loading Day

By now the kiln should be loaded and I should be resting for tomorrow's firing. But instead I'm just now beginning to load. It usually takes 8 hours, sometimes 10. As things are going it will take 10. Stacey has promised to bring my peanut M & M's this afternoon. A tradition started by Cynthia Bringle in the early days if this kiln. CB would also bring salt for the kiln and salt for the potters along with her pots which I happily loaded among mine.

Not all the pots got glazed but time waits for no one, especially potters who have no respect for its determination and vigilance.

A few weeks ago I confidently stated that I would not rely on kiln "magic", but instead would inject a certain intentional quality into my work. After a week or so of 18 hour days I'm hoping for not only a little wood firing magic, but a minor miracle to boot!

it's on to the next one, firing XXXVI !

Saturday Highlights

I picked up a chisel ended paint brush last night and have been playing around with it's qualities. Here are a couple of examples of a new pattern that is emerging.

Uh Oh : Rabbit Time

Simon: Stacey made me do it!

Progress?

Here are a few pictures of some painting I did last night and this morning. There are a couple of "states" each of three pots.

Coffee Break vol. 28

It's an unlikely time in the very early morning to be having a cup of coffee but such are the circumstances of this potter with the luxury of the electric light to show the way to after hours pottery work.

This is one of our (Stacey and I's) fave-o-rite mugs that has somehow made it's way up to the shop tonight. I think I might have gotten this mug from Ron Meyers on a long ago visit to Athens, GA.

I have a vague memory of fleeing Penland after a little spat that Stacey and I had back during our courtship days. Ron just sat there sympathetically painting away on a pile of pots as I cried on his shoulder about Stacey not wanting to see me again, or something like that. Oh, dating...

Stacey had taken a class with Ron in Cortona Italy way back when, so Ron knew Stacey and must have given me the good advice to get back and plead my case with her 'cause that's what I did, with this cup as my peace offering.

I guess I owe a lot more to this cup (and Ron) than merely the late night messenger of coffee!

Oh, the power of pottery!

Besides having this beautiful painting of this bird (goldfinch?) the handle is one of the finest "trigger/one finger" handles I've ever used. It also has some of the softest lines on any cup that we have. It's a great inspiration at this time of painting. Maybe it's time to paint a few birds?!

Well, enough ruminating and blogging. If I don't get back to work on this pottery and get home before the cows, I might be making another trip to Athens for more advice from Ron!

;)




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