Firing

For a brief moment at around 1230 deg. I though I might have got this kiln spot on-the same temp top and bottom-which is distinctly unusual for me-until I realised I had mis-spotted the cones,and the kiln was in fact a cone hotter [about 30degs.]at the top-a much more common state of affairs for the first firing of a series.You'd think that after close to 700 glaze firings in this kiln over eleven years I'd have got the hang of it,but the fine tuning inevitably takes a kiln or two.The firing took 11 hours,with a leisurely start at seven this morning.Slowly "unpacked" the bisc jammed on the studio shelves to remind myself what pots we have.Started glazing some porcelain with a clear glaze so that it'll be good and dry for its second coat of Janice Tchalenko's wonderfully-coloured glazes tomorrow.Mixed up various dried-out glazes [I tend to let them dry completely in their buckets,then reconstitute them for the next batch of firings.],made up some tenmoku [dark/light brown] with returned apprentice Goldie,who is going to play with the Mashiko trilogy of tenmoku,khaki and nuka [rice-ash,grey/white/chun blue].Unearthed long-unused black manganese crystal glaze,which makes an unholy mess when it runs on kiln-shelves [which,of cours,it does at the drop of a hat,but which can give dramatic irridescent crystals in reduction when in the right mood].More foot-and-rim waxing-plates,bowls,lidded jars,remaining teapots.A box of pots for Meir's kiln toppled over,breaking one of the teapots [the big one in the picture]and a couple of bud-vases-nothing too catastrophic]and reminding one of the old adage,"If you want one,make two".Music in studio [for last three days,more-or-less non-stop]:Queen Omega off ireggae,which you really should check out-see link below.Before that:Bembeya Jazz National/Syliphone Years-listen to it at Stern's -a great source for the African music that has been my staple diet for quite a few years.But we haven't talked much about music yet.Starving.Expecting Sydney,who told me he just built a kiln in one day at Tel Hai - without doing any of the work himself.This is true mastery-working without doing.