I
unloaded the first of three bisque kilns that needed to be fired yesterday and
as soon as it was empty, loaded it back up for the second firing. With some
creative stacking, I am usually able to get about 45+ pieces in each kiln load
and when done I will have fired over 160 pieces in terra cotta, stoneware and
porcelain. After loading the kiln, I immediately set about glazing up the first
group of carved porcelain bowls and a group of porcelain and stoneware
teabowls. Rather than waiting to have to glaze all of any one clay at one time,
I am going about this by glazing smaller batches to reduce the mental and
physical stress normally associated with the process. Today I glazed up a large
group of terra cotta carved, decorated and slipped pieces and tomorrow my plan
is to deal with another group of stoneware bowls, serving pieces and
bottle/vases. I can already tell that
this seems more efficient and far less taxing by breaking the glazing process
into smaller and more manageable groups and will probably deal with glazing
larger groups of pieces exactly this way in the future.
"The
future ain't what it used to be." Lawrence Peter Berra (1925-2015)
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