Journey Nov 23 to 30th. Third consultation

I discussed the October firing with Steven as I felt we had rather muddy overall results - I felt that we had had too much reduction. Steven mentioned that he felt that the best reduction results were when the reduction was controlled by the damper. You get less physical signs of reduction but get a more even result in the kiln. If by the gas, then you usually get lots of flames up the chimney. Even minute changes in the setting of the damper and gas can make a huge difference.
I seem to be carrying through with the applique theme with my other pots - though will try some of the stony yellow glaze instead of the Hannah ochre ash. The Hannah ash gives me blistering sometime.
Regarding the teapots - Steven still felt the end was not tapered enough - opening on spout was still a bit too big. As well the squared bottom teapot - the spout addition - the corner was too jarring - did not blend in well. So will work on my spouts and other aspects of the teapot.
The bashed teapot he felt had possibilities - liked the knob which I do as well - I may try some more though I don't think they will sell here. But it was fun to make.
The fish bowls - the circular finger marks were too predictable - acceptable but the uniformity did not go well with the looseness of the rim. Anyway another good session - keeps me enthused and focused a lot more than I was before as I was getting rather discouraged what with the bad glaze results and I felt at a dead end with regards to creativity.
We had our November firing on Thursday - this time the results were even muddier. In the slow cool (from around 1900F to 1500F) for the first half hour the kiln was accidentally in reduction - maybe that muddied the glazes? The fishing lady pot had the blue ash almost an olive colour and the ochre lacked the rich orange brown where thin.


The Stoney Yellow glaze worked quite well on two pots - especially the covered jar.
The fish bowl was not too bad, but the second fish bowl had a lot of blistering on the underside edge - even with the Stoney Yellow. It was on the front bottom shelf and I will try refiring it to see if I can get rid of the blisters. Again could have been due to the reduction during the slow cool. I have been trying to extend the bisque firing or bisqueing twice to see if that reduces the blisters by eliminating all gases from carbon burnout.

On Sat and Sunday our Guild had a workshop by Robert Tetu, a functional potter from southern Ontario. He demonstrated his economical methods of making his pots as time is money when you are trying to earn a living as a potter. Every movement counts - e.g. using a sponge (which he already has in his hand) instead of having to pick up a shammy and using it. Everybody is now anxious to try his faceting techniques.

Journey Nov 9 to 23

I decided to carry on the theme of the fishing lady but incorporating a mirror. Years ago I had made these mirrors, but used a landscape theme. I dried the slab very slowly - pressed between drywall for several weeks before I worked on it - cutting and insetting the thrown mirror edge. Again all was left to equalize for several weeks under plastic.

I made another couple of teapots incorporating Steven's suggestions - a spout that does not flare at the end and a shorted knob. On the first teapot the stamped applique ended up not looking right so I bashed it a bit and then kept bashing the teapot until it looked right. Very therapeutic.


On the second one I decided to apply the stamped applique at a slight angle to give it a looser look. I don't know that I like the spouts - perhaps I should cut them off parallel to the bottom.

Journey Oct 21 - Nov 9th

We had to postpone our gas firing for a week as there was not enough for a kiln load. It seemed to be a rather poor firing - colours a bit muddy. Could have been too much reduction - maybe our oxyprobe is not working that well or it could just have been the loading. However after having all these fishing woman pots sitting around the house I realize that they really are not a very attractive form. Will try and work on that.

I had double bisqued the stoneware pots that were to be ash glazed hoping that it would eliminate some of the blistering. It seemed to have helped though in most cases the ash glaze was a bit too thin so blisters would not have formed anyway.
The fishing woman again ended up badly glazed - not the right thickness in the right spots, though the back again was great. When will I learn - the plain back with the runny ash glazes looks great. The front with all the details is just too much with those glazes. I think I will have too try another glaze on those appliqued pots.
The stony yellow glaze that I got from Steven looked not too bad on stoneware once I had reduced the iron. So will perhaps try that glaze on with those pots. An overspray with Rhodes 32 and .8% manganese did some running and crystal formation so that looks promising.

On Friday several members of our Guild did a workshop at the Golden Lake Algonquians Reserve. We had about 15 participants - both adult and children and we showed them how to make coiled pots. They are trying to set up a cultural centre and bring back some of the traditional crafts. They had a kiln donated to them and we so will be back after Christmas and help them set it all up as well as fire it.
After Steven's consult I have tried to make the fish stamped handles more loose - so tried small dishes with cut edges and then wrapped the two ends with a stamped slab. Now not sure how to glaze them as these were done on procelain. I also made a porcelain knife to go with the dish - will be a challenge to glaze it.
I also stamped rims directly and then impressed a couple of lines, pinching and twisting the rim at the tail end to give the fish movement. I liked that effect best. Will see how it ends up glazed.

Journey Oct 21 - 26 - Wider rims

At Center Street clay Steven's and Kenyon's platters had very wide rims. I love them! Compared to mine, mine are way too thin to my liking, so have been working on getting more clay into the rim. This really frames the pot and gives it what Steven calls a generous look - have been generous with the clay and not stingy. In our firing at the Guild we pay by the pound so we tend to aim for thinner pots. However, a thicker rim does not mean the rest of the pot has to be thick.
I still have a long way to go - somehow by the time I stretch out the rim, it is back to a thinner edge. So will work on that.
I spent Sat and Sunday glazing as there may be a gas firing while I am away in Toronto next week. Looking forward to visiting my daughter there as well as lots of galleries and the annual Fusion Clay and Glass Sale. Fusion is the Ontario Association for clay and glass artists.

Journey Oct 13 - 20 Second Consultation with Steven

The weeks go by so fast - and so few pots made, but having a deadline is really helping. Had a great feedback session with Steven on Monday. Steven's comments on the fish plate - could have done better - fish going through the middle, need more asymmetry etc. I thought that I had created asymmetry by varying the location of the fish - but never looked to see that they go right across the middle. The glaze was definitely too thin- looked sprayed. May try to reglaze.

The fishing lady was definitely much better, but still need to control my spraying better, the lower part of the woman is a totally different colour so disruptive to the esign. So will try to keep better notes - how many layers, how thick is the glaze in the jar etc.
The pots that Steven liked the best were the small oval dishes. I had thrown them very fast as I needed some small items for the Cooperative. It was the thickness of the rims, that the foot match the rim as well in definition. He said they looked generous.

He could see that I had struggled with the knobs on the covered jars - the curled one he felt was OK - though it looked like it was just dropped on the lid - it suited the pot.
The others looked like I was trying too hard. He suggested that I look at some of the work that Nick Joerling does - as he has fantastic knobs. Also the lugs on the pots - looked just stuck on - did not meld with the pot - so need to work on getting those lugs looking more like they are part of the pot.
The teapots - yes I think I heard him sigh- and yes I also realize that they need a lot of work. The best one was the flat bottomed one - but he felt all knobs were too tall, and spouts just a tad too big. So much so trying to make them "manly". (I have a commission for a teapot for a friend's brother). Also he felt that in order for the spout to pour smoothly it is important for it to taper and not flare at the end which I have been doing as I really like that look.

So back to work - will work on knobs, teapots and continue with my fishing lady theme.

Journey Oct 5 - 12 Lidded Jars and Teapots

Finished work on the fishing lady on the front of the boat. However when looking straight on the pot the lady is too much up front so that you cannot see her too well. So started another one this time with the lady near the back. I also put a top on the boat - as I was getting some cracking on the corners, hoping that this will tie the corners together better.

I had quite a time trying different knobs for the lidded jars, and mostly I was not satisfied with them. I also made some small oval dishes as well as oval baking dishes, trying to get some continuity in my work.
Since the jars had dried too much to stamp properly I ended up adding some appliqued fish to one - did not look that great. So I ended just give them mostly a quick bash to loosen up the work. I liked the small oval dishes best.
I also have a commission for a teapot so made several. It's for the brother of friend so I was trying to make something manly - with larger spout and knob - ended up not happy with any, but will continue with them.