SLOW GOING

When it comes to making pots just for testing glazes/ surfaces and working out ideas, not to order it can take some time to get enough pots together to fire a kiln load. After the holidays it is usually slow going but have small commissions and even some dinnerware orders has keep me busy even though Jan is not a good month to make pots in my studio. Between being too cold and things drying rather unevenly and warping I tend to limit Jan. to testing, cleaning, organizing and figuring out what materials I need to order. This year has been no different and as smaller orders, resupplies and dinnerware orders have mostly been for terra cotta, on the odd occasion I have been throwing the odd piece of stoneware and porcelain and letting it build up as I find space to bisque it. The bulk of my throwing during any cycle tends to be in the afternoon where I may make up to 30 pieces or so, they are left uncovered until I go to bed and then uncovered early and tooled in the morning, hopeful finished before lunch and then back to throwing.     

The photo shows a group of smaller pots, many of which started out as reclaimed clay or kiln fillers that have now been bisque and are waiting for more pieces to gather before I think about glazing and firing a kiln of pots. Besides what is in the photo there are several more teabowls, the group of guinomi to go with the bottles, several bottle/vases and some serving bowls that need to be bisque yet. Adding to what I have and need to bisque my plan is to get a group of "larger" pots made; mallet style vases, some serving pieces, several jugs and a few larger covered jars and then I will have pretty close to a kiln load. At this point, I'll just have to see how things go, as I said, it is pretty slow going.