So I loaded another electric bisque kiln tonight before class. I love loading kilns.
It’s like a three-dimensional, spatial-relationship puzzle trying to fill every space,
fit it all together and get as much in as possible! The beauty of a bisque kiln is that you can
carefully stack the greenware to optimize the spacing in the kiln. I always do good
at the bottom layer, but it always seems tougher as you get towards the top and start to
run out of “options” and no more smaller pieces to squeeze in. I hate leaving open spaces.
It seems like a waste of space. I should have made more!
Layer One: All mugs!
Layer Two: More mugs, bowls and berry bowls…
Layer Three: Bowls, berry bowls, berry bowl plates… and a couple mugs!
Layer Four: Plates… and my new butter dish “prototypes”!!!
Nicely done!
I have always thought of loading the kiln as a three dimensional Tetris, trying to max out the load.
Apparently you don’t have to be so fussy, though, as Cynthia Bringle shows :
http://cynthiabringle.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-08-15T16%3A55%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7
I love Tetris too!… coincidence?… I don’t think so.
That’s a great photo. I’m surprised she even uses shelves. Nice load of work Gary.
Sadly, I had to leave a few “bare spots” when I got to the top as I didn’t have enough small stuff to fill in. And that really drives me crazy… I hate wasting kiln space! Plus, there was even more of the larger stuff that is already waiting for the next bisque!!!
Nice kiln load! I am curious as to why you did not place the lids on the butter dishes.
JERRY – No good reason. Other than I had run out of “short” or “small” stuff to put on that top shelf. So it was either separate the lids from the bases, or leave empty shelf showing?! Somehow I felt better not having the white kiln shelves “mocking” me!!!
A better question is why is there a number 5 on the big platter?
SCOTT – Good catch. I can tell you are a “LOST” fan!
Always looking for the numbers!!! 4-8-15-16-23-42…
Actually, it was from a class demo I did on using wet newspaper typography as a resist when coating a plate with slip… then peeling away the newspaper character to reveal the clay body. I had to do a demo… my niece’s 5th birthday was a month away, so what better reason than to make my niece a special 5th Birthday plate since I was doing the demo anyway?! I hope she loves it. – GARY