Colorful wispy clouds blowing across the horizon. It started out quite warm this morning… but that breeze along the lake was a bit stronger than I expected!

So it’s been a busy week… with working all day, teaching three night classes, cleaning the kiln, biking & doing my taxes!!! Yes, I’m still working on my TAXES!!! But here’s the inside my soda kiln from last weekend… finally! Another beautiful firing with some great colors & flashing marks all the way through! Looking forward to spending some more time with each of these pieces as I start to prep & price them all for the upcoming art fair season! After I finish my taxes of course…

What started out as a quiet & serene sunrise… turned out to be a bit more splashy that I had expected! I always LOVE when the waves are crashing & the sunrise is highlighting every wave! Timing is everything!!!

Looks like Spring has finally arrived in Chicago… for real this time… with blue skies & crisp white trees flowering all around. Love it.

Experiencing the eclipse Monday with some friends… with a whole assortment of eye-protection! Also good for shooting photographs through! Here in Chicago, they say we had 94% totality… which was pretty darn cool.

A beautiful start to the day… with wispy clouds floating across the horizon…
and a quietly shimmering reflection.

This morning I pulled out a few bricks from the kiln door to help cool the kiln.
So here’s a quick sneak peek. Looking good so far!!!

Towards the end of the day-long firing, I start to put the soda mixture into the kiln between cones 8 & 9. The introduction of of the soda, moisture & combustible materials make the kiln go crazy during this high reduction time. So dramatic with flames shooting out everywhere!!! Not for the faint of heart… but so much fun for those of us who love playing with flames! Especially knowing that these crazy flames are also working their “magic” on the pots inside. Fingers crossed everything looks great inside!!!

Part way into the firing, it’s time to put the kiln into body reduction… altering the ratio of gas to air. Reducing the air level so the flames need to seek-out oxygen wherever it can find it. And that’s when the flames start to peek out through the cracks & crevices of the bricks. So much fun… kind of enticing!

Packed tight from top to bottom, as well as the three shelves deep. It’s a lot of pots & mini tiles trying to utilize as much surface space as possible… trying to get the most out of every soda kiln firing!