Taylor, in Rockport TX on fri 10 feb 06
Howdy Y'all:
I've finally gotten the pictures from my latest pit fire on my flickr site.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirerabbit/
Look in my Pit firing set.
Whew! What a weekend last. Okay so here's the short version. Rockport's
Bountiful Bowls pottery festival, a fundraiser for the Aransas Senior
Center, was held the first weekend of February. I went to it last year when
I was very new to Rockport. I took it as a good sign that one of my first
yeehaws in town was a pottery show. When I saw that Dale Neese and Jim Bob
Salizar had booths I was really happy. Any old way, this year I shared a
booth with a Rockport friend and her husband. My sales were great compared
to the last time I sold pots (that was $8 btw), but I was not pleased with
my offerings. Leslie will tell you I'm a little hard on my pots, but I'm
affraid that a year out of the game has put me back at square one.
So, Dale had a great idea to invite the potters coming to the show to a pit
firing at my place. I sent out invites to the 30 or so potters and many
expressed interest. I spent a good bit of time collecting oak and pallet
wood and twigs and banana peels etc. for the pit, so when the time came we
could burn stuff.
As some of you know my last two pit firings had been disappointing, little
color. This pit was at least three times as big and filled by 6 potters.
Along with Jim Bob and Dale, Leslie Finet had some pieces in the pit. Two
other very nice local potters put pieces in as well. We got great
tan/salmon colors from salt, but I was still disappointed in the outcome.
Not many reds at all. We put in some copper wire and some copper scrubbies,
but little marking with those.
I am beginning to wonder if my saw dust is too fine and that is why the
blacks are so overpowering. maybe my setting is done poorly. I am
wondering if I am doing something wrong when I cover up as well. Is it
possible to develop colors and then have the fire burn them away because the
pit recieved more air later in the firing? Is that possible? We put in
more chemicals (I thought) hoping that was my problem with color, but
judging from the pots, next time I need to really put it to 'em.
One pot has some very nice color effects within the black sections. I think
this is because of the salted yard clippings I placed under it. It looks
like bronze when the light hits it just right. A shame it is on the one pot
I blew the bottom out of during the bisque firing. Heavy sucker too.
Enjoy the MANY pics.
Don't give up,
Taylor, in Rockport TX
Donald G. Goldsobel on sat 11 feb 06
Taylor,
A sure way to get good color is to use Danon's paper, slip saggars. I have
used the method many times and always get great results. Coat a few layers
of news paper with slip and then a dry layer. I put wood shavings or
sawdust, copper carb., copper wire, string soaked in cobalt, thin five ought
steel wool, epson salts, vermiculite and a little rock salt. I use wet paper
to adhere the elements and wrap it in the slipped newspaper. I tape it up
and that will create a mini saggar to hold in the coloring elements. Credit
to Danon Rhudy.
Donald
Lauren Bellero on sun 12 feb 06
taylor in rockport,
congratulations on your sale and your pit fire!
so the pit got bigger. cool. i think you got
some nice gifts from the pit fire gods in that bunch.
yep, i agree with you: more chemicals next time.
fine sawdust will give good blacks (i happen to like
that... more contrast). but if you didn't want
black, then you can either use wood chips and just
put the fine sawdust under the pots where you plan for blacks,
or stand the pots up so only the bottoms get black, or
lay the pot on a brick(s) so it's not directly in the sawdust.
how do you finish them? have you noticed how much stronger
the color is when you wash them? i use a spray sealer (when
pots are completely dry) for that effect. i've tried various
waxes, but personally prefer the sprays (also a bit easier
when there are alot of pots to process).
sometimes it's not easy figuring out what went
wrong and what went right. maybe after a few hundred
more firings i will have a guaranteed formula for success.
but then it will probably have something to do with what
house the moon is in and when a certain butterfly in china
flaps its wings...
>Don't give up,
like you could!
thanks for sharing your info,
lauren
ps. thanks, donald, for the good info from danon that you
passed along, too!
--
Lauren Bellero, Mudslingers Pottery
http://mudslingerspottery.net
Red Bank, NJ
Jim Bob Salazar on tue 14 feb 06
hey taylor,
thanks for the photos. i'd say it looked like a pretty successful firing.
i know nothing about the pit firing method but find it interesting. thanks
for letting us be a part of the experience. it was nice meeting your wife
and seeing you place. very cool. hope all is well and you two are doing
good.
until next time,
jim bob
Jim Bob Salazar
Associate Professor of Art - Ceramics
Sul Ross State University
East Highway 90 Box C-43
Alpine Texas 79832-001
Office 432-837-8405
Studio 432-837-8280
jsalazar@sulross.edu
----- Original Message -----
From: "Taylor, in Rockport TX"
To:
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 10:50 PM
Subject: Bountiful pit firing
> Howdy Y'all:
>
> I've finally gotten the pictures from my latest pit fire on my flickr
> site.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirerabbit/
>
> Look in my Pit firing set.
>
> Whew! What a weekend last. Okay so here's the short version. Rockport's
> Bountiful Bowls pottery festival, a fundraiser for the Aransas Senior
> Center, was held the first weekend of February. I went to it last year
> when
> I was very new to Rockport. I took it as a good sign that one of my first
> yeehaws in town was a pottery show. When I saw that Dale Neese and Jim
> Bob
> Salizar had booths I was really happy. Any old way, this year I shared a
> booth with a Rockport friend and her husband. My sales were great
> compared
> to the last time I sold pots (that was $8 btw), but I was not pleased with
> my offerings. Leslie will tell you I'm a little hard on my pots, but I'm
> affraid that a year out of the game has put me back at square one.
>
> So, Dale had a great idea to invite the potters coming to the show to a
> pit
> firing at my place. I sent out invites to the 30 or so potters and many
> expressed interest. I spent a good bit of time collecting oak and pallet
> wood and twigs and banana peels etc. for the pit, so when the time came we
> could burn stuff.
>
> As some of you know my last two pit firings had been disappointing, little
> color. This pit was at least three times as big and filled by 6 potters.
> Along with Jim Bob and Dale, Leslie Finet had some pieces in the pit. Two
> other very nice local potters put pieces in as well. We got great
> tan/salmon colors from salt, but I was still disappointed in the outcome.
> Not many reds at all. We put in some copper wire and some copper
> scrubbies,
> but little marking with those.
>
> I am beginning to wonder if my saw dust is too fine and that is why the
> blacks are so overpowering. maybe my setting is done poorly. I am
> wondering if I am doing something wrong when I cover up as well. Is it
> possible to develop colors and then have the fire burn them away because
> the
> pit recieved more air later in the firing? Is that possible? We put in
> more chemicals (I thought) hoping that was my problem with color, but
> judging from the pots, next time I need to really put it to 'em.
>
> One pot has some very nice color effects within the black sections. I
> think
> this is because of the salted yard clippings I placed under it. It looks
> like bronze when the light hits it just right. A shame it is on the one
> pot
> I blew the bottom out of during the bisque firing. Heavy sucker too.
>
> Enjoy the MANY pics.
>
> Don't give up,
>
> Taylor, in Rockport TX
>
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