Early Spring 2020 Firing
In the midst of our second week of social distancing during the Coronavirus pandemic, I chose to turn my attention to preparing for a gas kiln firing. Although I’ve fired it twice before, once sampling glazes, and another time with a half load, this felt like it was my first true attempt.
My gas kiln was built in the early 1980s by local legend Marvin Bartel, a career ceramics artist and art educator at the local college. In recent years, it had not been fired as often, being limited to full loads at cone 10 just handful of times each year.
Having fired the kiln in January and February, I felt like for the first time I was well-versed in its unique features and ready to take on some of the finer details. I attempted a body reduction halfway through in hopes of darkening the clay a bit and set the stage for brighter colors. I kept strenuous records and worked hard to do it the right way.
Ultimately, the results left me with a lot to be desired.
From bland colors to a few mishaps with loading, it just didn’t come together as I had hoped. That’s not to say that it was without any standouts. A handful of side-fired pieces turned out, and my Malcolm Davis Shinos had some nice flashes as well.
It was another good learning experience.
Below you’ll find a few pictures from the unloading and some brief snapshots taken in our woods shortly after. I’m already looking forward to more opportunities as the weather grows warmer and experience continues to build.
On to the next one…
