Wednesday, January 28, 2009

vessels in the kiln

I have been firing since last week. This is the last bit of the kindergartens' fairy tale characters (peeking out from under the 1/2 shelf), and the first of the grade 6 vessels. They are an akward size to fire. Often I place them on their sides, but without any pressure on the handle. When the kiln is loaded, the pieces are in their most fragile (green) state. And the handles are extemely vulnerable to damage. The bisque fire at cone 04, leaves them a rich terra cotta earthenware.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

batik studio with clay projects

In between classes.
The newspaper accumulates. One table has been turned into the ironing station for wax removal. The newspapers, saturated with the wax, accumulate under the table over the course of the day - as long as the irons are being used. At the end of the day, we stack the papers and put them in the trash. But most of the newspapers are recylced.
And I've finally started firing the Grade 6 vessels.