Christy on thu 28 aug 03
inspired by recent discussion, i undertook the following: took two pots
that had gone through a gas kiln to cone 10 but that for some reason did
not turn out as expected (we did have problems with the kiln getting to
and keeping temperature). Anyway, they were glazed (sort of) but looking
pretty bland and boring. white. so the other day, when summer seemed to
come to an abrupt end (what summer we had here in Connecticut), I was
outside dining with a friend, and we lit the outdoor fireplace to keep
warm. you've seen them. it's a coleman brand. looks like a big wok, with
a steel cage around it and a lid. I burn all the branches and stuff that
come down in the my yard, along with the trees I cut down and chop to
size and it reminds me of being a kid, and feels quite cozy to sit
outside in the cool evening and have a fire going.
So we're firing the fireplace (and I admit, drinking some wine), and I
thought, hey, Clayart participants have been talking about horsehair -
and I have that. And they've been talking about pit firing - and this
kind of looks like an above ground pit. And I've got these two pots that
I love but for that glaze problem. So in they went. Covered up with as
much wood as would fit. Fired for as long as the fire lasted ( 1 maybe 1
and a half hours) and then pulled out with potholders (word to the wise
- kitchen pot holders don't hold up well to a pit fired pot) and
horsehair laid upon their sides, where it promptly did its thing and
burned many beautiful dark wiry lines.
These pots are now displayed with all my other favorites, and now I'm
scrounging the bisqued-but-not-glazed that are stacked up in the front
room turned studio since it seems that nights just continue to be cool
and wood continues to be available for burning.
Such fun.
CPines in Connecticut
one of the newbies who reads everything available - all the books in the
library - all the archives - PMI, CM, ClayTimes, stuff I can't even
understand - and then asks my teachers here in CT - before ever asking a
question here. I value the knowledge here and acknowledge that my
relative newness requires me to find a teacher who gets PAID to answer
my questions, so that I might be knowledgable enough to impose on those
who know much more, and who are gracious enough to share a bit of it
here with me. I get this attitude from what I do every day for a living.
I am an e-learning expert, and people come to me all the time with
questions, people who claim to want to be able to do what I do, to know
what I know.. I'm happy to help those who've done the "prework" they
need to do, happy to point the beginners in the right direction, but
resentful of those who think that because I know what I'm doing, that
I'm happy to spend/waste my time telling them everything they need to
know while they feel no responsibility to undertake any effort of their
own to learn it.
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