A quick morning glimpse at the first layer of this year’s Christmas Trees! More layers & more kilns in the works! This is just the start as… cue the song… “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”

Into the kiln just in time?! Sure, they might be a little warm still when the new Ghouls make it ART IN THE BARN this weekend?! It wouldn’t be the first time, right?!

Also, thanks to Laura Williams for finishing off my kiln. I had a little extra space on the top shelf… and Laura was racing against her “art fair weekend” deadline as well. And a little sweet treat from Laura as a Thank You… chocolate covered OREOs with little toffee crumbles!!!

Okay, so here’s some of “glamorous side” of being a potter. Sure, it’s great fun to make the pots. But everyone forgets about all of the heavy busy-work that goes on behind the scenes. I was pondering this tonight as I was busy cleaning the soda kiln after my recent firing. Removing all of the shelves & posts, scraping the shelves, kiln washing them all (my least favorite part)… plus the sweeping & mopping!!! At least I got some beautiful pots out of it all. Ha!!!

So my soda kiln unloading went well yesterday. With plenty of fun colors & beautiful soda flashing throughout the kiln! Can’t wait to bring most of these new pieces to ART IN THE BARN this weekend in Barrington!

Started taking off a few more layers of bricks… almost cool enough to unload. It’s always exciting to see a good “pop” of color at the top of my soda firing. I’m not a fan of the “soda-blasted” dark grays that look like “dolphin skin”… some people like it, but not me!!! I prefer COLOR over dark grayness!!!

Today is Monday… welcome to a new week! It’s also soda kiln unloading day!!!
I just cracked the kiln open so it can cool a little quicker. Also… a little sneaky peek!!!

After a full day of firing the soda kiln… and the crazy coolness of the flames shooting out everywhere… it is always odd to me to turn it off at the end. The noise, the flames, the drama… all ending with a flip of a switch. Now hoping that everything inside looks great!!! We won’t find out until Monday night… fingers crossed…

As the firing is nearing the end, it’s time to add the soda mixture into the kiln. It evaporates instantly, causing the flames to go CRAZY… and hopefully sending the soda mixture throughout all of pots & shelves inside!!! Wherever the flames hit the pot… that’s where the soda mixture will work its magic & “glaze” the pot!!! Fingers crossed.

So I just placed the kiln in “body reduction.” This is when I throw the balance of gas-to-air out of whack. Too much gas for an efficient flame… so the kiln is seeking air anywhere it can find it. Thus the flames shooting out of the kiln searching for air… like the movie “Backdraft.” It is also the time that the porousness is being sucked out of the bisque making the pots inside solid & vitrified. Who knew so much chemistry & physics would play into my simple little pottery world?!

Early this morning… WE HAVE IGNITION!!!
And a long day ahead of me in the studio firing the soda kiln
for next weekend’s ART IN THE BARN in Barrington.