First Summer 2017 Firing

close up of pitcher plant pieces out of the kiln

This week was the first week off from school and I fired my first kiln load of the summer. I thought I was ahead of schedule, but then I went back and looked at last year and discovered I'd fired a glaze load in May and work for a commission by June 23. However, that old kiln was smaller than my new Skutt.

my worktable during the under-glazing process

Last summer, what with the Rotary commission and the functional work for Boxx Gallery and the Art on the Wall piece, I didn't finish any sculpture last summer. It was pretty disappointing, so this year I vowed to avoid the functional, avoid the commissions, and focus on finishing some work.

view inside the (dark) kiln while unloading

The kiln I unloaded last night has some work that's on its second of three (or third of four, in once case) firing for underglaze. I also have some work that are essentially done with firing, but have non-ceramic elements that need to be added.

second of three underglaze layers for this piece

I haven't wholly determined whether the blue and yellow pitcher plant forms are done as they are or will have a matte glaze added over the blue. Either way, the plan is to attach them together in one larger structure which may require some serious work now that they are built. I've got a plan, but that plan requires me to work in a way I haven't worked previously. Stay tuned.

pitcher plants finished?