Hello everyone. There was a nice surprise this morning. The polar bear I listed on my shop last night was already sold. It was one of the quickest records on my shop. I carefully packed him. He is on the way to Australia. When Topaz, the posting dog, and I walked to the post office, I noticed that other side of the hill was blocked because of construction. That's why our road was congested yesterday. A mystery was solved!
I was finally able to go to the studio this afternoon. It was only two and a half hour, but solid session without break. I did some finishing and loaded two kilns. One for bisque-firing and another for glaze-firing.
This is glaze-firing. I usually fire my work about three times, but sometimes five times until the colours become the way I like. I am still working on the large test chicken, but I like to see how the little chicken in this kiln comes out first.
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| Glaze-firing. Lightly loaded. |
Then I forgot to take photos of the bisque firing kiln. I painted white slip on one of masks, as experiment. It didn't become bone dry before I had to leave. So I set the speed of heating up very slowly. Only 30 C per hour. The slowest ever bisque firing for me! I hope the mask will survive. (If there were moisture in clay, it could explode inside a kiln!) There are six grey clay pots for reduction firing, two middle-size masks and one cat head.
Then, after dinner at home I loaded the third kiln of the day. This is our own kiln. We are going to do bisque-firing.
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| The lower shelf |
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| The top shelf |
The middle space is for this chicken! She is still not completely dry, so I will add her just before going to bed, tonight. People on Twitter are doing #DrawingAugust; they tweet what they drew on the day. I have enjoyed seeing other people's drawings! I was admiring lots of them. Drawings are interesting because they show how the drawers see the world and their interests in the world. It is like borrowing their eyes to see their worlds. I don't draw in a conventional method, but I 'sketch' with clay. So this is what I did just after breakfast this morning, while I watched Pumpkin preening herself. It is hollow. I liked spontaneous nature of this one, so I will fire her.
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| Pumpkin |
If you have noticed something on top of saucers in previous picture, and wonder what they are....
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| Two little feet |
they are two little feet for this one! My little earlier sketch of Pumpkin.
While we were loading the kiln in the garage, Pumpkin was curiously peeking inside the garage to see what we were doing. But when we finished and came out, she became happy and went back to the garden. Here she is! What a beautiful chicken!
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| Our lovely Pumpkin |
I'm not a fan of chickens, but I think Pumpkin is gorgeous. Your little sketch of her is perfect.
ReplyDeleteYou have been one busy lady lately!
Oh, not fan of chickens!? : O Thank you. Pumpkin would be most pleased to hear that! Yes, I was a kiln-lady, like a tea-lady, today! : D
DeleteShe is a particularly beautiful chicken - congratulations! ;) Fingers crossed your pieces dry and fire safely.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patricia. I usually fire them bone dry, but didn't want to delay firing any longer. My fingers are crossed, too! : )
DeleteI am a huge fan of chickens. I love the little noises that they make and find them most comforting. I miss the girls we had in the village. Pumpkin is indeed a splendid Hen! Love your images too. x
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean by little noise. We love it, too! It's so soothing! If I have to choose one animal to live with, I will have a chicken. I didn't know how good companions they could become until we got our ones(we used to have two). : ) Thank you, Minerva!
DeletePumpkin is indeed beautiful I love the blended colors of her feathers. I am amazed that you fire your work so many times. I'd be afraid to risk the work breaking if I fired more than once, good luck with all the firings.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda. Each feather has a complex pattern, and it is the art of the nature. : )
DeleteIf it survives the first firing, you can safely fire it many time. Thanks, all three firings went well. : )
Oh, Pumpkin, you are so beautiful! We have chickens running about our neighborhood. They escape from their yard all the time. They were laying eggs under one neighbor's bushes. They sometimes follow me on my walk--talking to me and telling me their secrets. And I telling them mine :)
ReplyDeleteThere is something very wonderful and satisfying to look into a kiln waiting for a firing. It looks like you have been very, very busy. Happy firing!
I didn't know how soothing to live with chickens until we got Pumpkin and late Gherkin. You are lucky to be able to make friends with neighbouring chickens. Pumpkin has never tried to escape from our small garden, luckily.
DeleteThank you, Charlene. All three firings went well. : )
Oh it looks like I missed out this week ... HI Pumpkin ~you look fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI love you clay sketch Midori. I imagine I sketch my world with my photography. :)
Pumpkin is becoming greater and greater in our family. : ) Yes, you sketch with camera! : )
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