Pottery. Photography. And All Things Handmade.
My kiln is fixed (YEAH!!!) and hard at work on my back porch! Firing greenware (unfired air dried clay) as quickly as I can. Then glazing . . . and glazing some more. Because it has been so horridly humid and buggy this month, I have taken refuge indoors where I am hand-building bowls from... Continue Reading →
Just when I was getting into the grove of things . . . Throwing and firing. Firing and throwing. My kiln snapped. My kiln crackled. And my kiln popped! Had to call in my technical guru, other wise known as my husband. 😍 My technical guru checked connections, cleaned electrical contacts, switches and circuits. And... Continue Reading →
When leaves fall as well as the temperature, it is time for me to call an end to my throwing season. Because my back porch is not enclosed, I throw things during the warmer months. The warmer months tend to be May through October around here. But much work remains despite putting my pottery wheel... Continue Reading →
It starts with a ball of clay. Each ball rolled out flat into a slab then placed over a hump mold. A hump mold is a convex form over which clay slabs are draped until stiff enough to hold the shape. When the clay is stiff enough to hold the shape, it is set aside... Continue Reading →
Would you look at that! It's mid-October. And here I am running around like a squirrel gathering nuts before the snow falls! Instead of gathering nuts . . . I'm glazing and firing. Glazing and firing. Repeat. Mugs, after their 1st firing, waiting to be glazed. Glazed mugs drying. When I'm not glazing and firing,... Continue Reading →
Soaking up the sun on our back porch. Why, yes. I made the mug! 😉 Test tiles waiting to be fired then glazed and fired again. I feel like somebody is watching me! This is Midnight. He is the Semi-feral cat we adopted. He seems to be adjusting very well and has become the most... Continue Reading →
I am sensing a theme for this year. Mayhem. Life has changed since early March. Shelter at home. Social distancing. Face masks. Shortage of toilet paper, Lysol spray and disinfectant wipes. Here it is June of 2020. I think I have finally grown accustomed to dear husband working from home. Both of us have learned... Continue Reading →
It was a crisp November day. I loaded the kiln for the last time of the 2017 throwing season. Flipped the switch on the kiln expecting the glaze firing to take 10 to 12 hours. When 10 hours passed, I suspected something was wrong. The results of the longest glaze firing ever . . .... Continue Reading →
Glazing is not my favorite part of the pottery process but when my pieces come out of the kiln, glazing is well worth the effort! Most of my pieces have two different glazes applied giving the pottery one color on the inside and another color on the outside. This process involves a combination of pouring... Continue Reading →
All my bottoms are waxed and ready to glaze! I can hardly believe this is my last big batch of pottery for the 2016 throwing season on my back porch. Aside from my most popular item, pet dishes, I made a few new things this year: Organic Molded Bowls (To be listed soon but you... Continue Reading →
As any potter will tell you there is always an element of anticipation and surprise when you open the kiln after a glaze firing. A couple of weekend ago I glazed and loaded the kiln. I tried a few new glaze combinations; some I liked and others I didn't and will not do again! (I'm... Continue Reading →
Because the forecast called for rain today, I was hesitant about firing the kiln. (My kiln is on a covered back porch...open to the elements.) Luckily, no high winds! We had a lovely gentle rain most of the day. So, as I fired my first kiln load of the season, I enjoyed taking photos of... Continue Reading →
The kiln is loaded. Ready to bisque fire tomorrow. Bisque firing is the first firing at a low temperature. This first firing prepares the clay for glazing by removing all of the moisture from the piece leaving it porous but hard. The bisqued pieces are then ready for glazes. After the pieces are glazed, they... Continue Reading →
I test fired the kiln this week to make sure it is in good working condition. I am happy to say I'm back in production!
Well, here I go again with the crazing! It's crazy! I thought I figured out the cause; apparently not! Argh! The cause could be any number of things: the clay the glaze - it only happens with the clear glaze so that could be a clue! the combination of the clay AND the glaze glaze... Continue Reading →
I unloaded the kiln this morning. There are a few minor disappointments but over all I'm pleased with the results. I was disappointed in how several paw prints turned out, rather they didn't. Not sure what happened because I used the same technique as all the others. Looks like our cats may get a few... Continue Reading →
The good news is our circuit breaker is working as it should! The bad news is it is too hot outside! Apparently, the hot summer heat in addition to the electrical heat from running the kiln created sooooo much heat that the circuit tripped during my glaze firing on Monday. Two factors combine to heat... Continue Reading →
In February I discovered some of my pottery developed crazing – small hairline cracks that appear in the clear glaze giving a crackle effect. This crackle effect was not intentional. Since then, I've been reading and contemplating what to do with the seven pieces of pottery that exhibited the crazing. Last week, I decided to... Continue Reading →
It may not be the circuit breaker after all. After my technical team looked over the kiln, he discovered that two wires on one of the switches where touching! Egads! That's not supposed to happen! The two touching wires may have been causing the circuit breaker to trip. I'm refiring today and it is almost... Continue Reading →
Back Porch Studio 