Slow Pots

 January go's on in it's peculiar pace that is uniquely January. Nothing happens in Minnesota this time of year and that happens very slowly.
Slow pots are fitting, no hundred mug series, just a teapot or two.  This one was made on the Lunar New Year.. so why not call it the "Water Dragon Teapot".  A simple Celadon, or Tenmoku, will do for the glaze.
Wood firing is not called by any name that resembles January. Slow pots are for now as we wait for the return of spring, when the potters return to their kiln.
Cheers,

Make Good Pots,
~Craig

Just more...

It's one of those rainy days... that we really need here. Nice light rain that will probably continue for a day or more. Perfect weather to be inside working on pots for the next firing, and none to soon. All this firing and shelf and brick moving has left the hands in need of some clay therapy. The new camera isn't letting download pictures onto the computer, so here are a few random shots of random pots from the spring firing. So here are a couple of column from the middle of the kiln.

Little pots, lots of flyash.

Two columns still in the ashs. The colours on these worked out well, but the flash on the camera (the one that doesn't like the computer now) washed them out some. Well ~Make good pots~

handbuilt Teapot

Here was a nice surprise, this little handbuilt teapot was sitting in the second tier of pots. It's a shino with heavy fly ash. Can't wait to try it out. Then of course it becomes a used pot. ` Make good pots.

Columns to fire

Here are two large columns that will be going into the wood fire. I think that they will catch the fire nicely. The weather is cooperating nicely and the firing is still on schedule. We all know how that can change very quickly.
Back to the kiln, good weather is a terrible thing to waste!

A flight of teapots

It must be spring, I spotted this flight of teapots on their migration north.
Some day lilies are starting to appear, all this is very good. It's about 60*F today, last Wednesday it was -12*F. It makes one down right giddy!!!

Brandon and Izzy

Brandon and Izzy have been working at the studio the last couple of weeks. They are two art students from the High School. I've been showing them how to make slabbuilt pots. They are really doing well and I'm very proud of them. Wednesday is their last day so the pressure is on to finish their work.

Teapots 2

Ahh.. here is the second post on the new teapot. The first pic is with the handle and spout in place. So is the second picture, just a little more cleaned up and showing off my nice black backdrop. The spout was made using the Yi-Xing method. They have developed a couple of tools that work really well for this. One is called a spouting knife, a long narrow knife that makes for a really smooth inside of the spout.

I cut out a circle for the lid to see the fit.

Then fluted it and put on a small handle. Well that's everything I know in under five minutes!! It's snowing again... maybe 5 to 10" today... natures little miracle. It's been a late lunch, so off to the shop to make and make and make... Have a great day and make good pots!!

Some square plates and bottles

Here are some squared plates and bottles ready to go into the kiln. The bottles are put on top of the plates with shells in between. The plates have a shino glaze on them that works well with the shells. I'm trying a saturated iron glaze that has worked well in woodfiring. Well it's time to go back into the kiln.

This is slab built pitcher with a shino glaze with finger swipes. It got a bit wet with flyash.

Srutting pitcher

Here is a hand built pitcher that I made using slabs. I wanted a pitcher that had a sense of movement and also would create a feeling of celebration.