the firings get more frequent ….

we haven’t seen many mornings with a blue sky like this recently, more often it has been grey and wet, with a wind tugging away at my mini-polytunnels. but the rain helps growth, and everything is looking healthy. I could ask for more bean germination – are the mice eating them? – and less rabbit threat to sunflowers – but I have lots of broad beans in flower.

another firing this week; I am trying to maximise the new shapes I have been making. the first thing that looks good as I open the kiln is an old shape, provoking the wish that I had more of these bottles to fire.

the very front of the kiln is cooler, especially at the bottom, and there is a piece or two that needs refiring.

this one caught the sweet spot – the copper/tin/dolomite glaze that I call saltmarsh does a good black on porcelain just around there in the kiln.

these two have the dreaded copper dirty green grey from being underfired. the one on the left has a good side, you will see it on the website photo – the one on the right will go back in the kiln. the crackle slip is very dramatic on the inside of the one on the left;

here it has been more than dramatic. I think it was on too thick,

and the same thing happened to this one. I shall take care next time.

here the chun has done a nice job over the crackle slip and made a lovely little globule of run glaze which did not stick to the shelf and is quite happily well attached to the pot. this shape is inspired by a stone – marble – vessel which turns up in cycladic remains.

lots of great little beaker shapes from the top half of the front of the kiln.

tall beakers layered with “Y material” clay and glazed with the dolomite glazes – quite a reliable combination.

and I filled the bottom at the back with porcelain pieces – but now I have run out, so I am radically rethinking the next pack …

photos of the whole firing, minus the slip-ups, are here