Single firing Done!

Well done Donna

:-)

Steve Bath UK

Yes, congratulations.

Single firing is differant but it's not that differant and not difficult, it's too bad that most people these days end up working out the details on their own.

Elaine

In message , DKat writes

I'm so glad that this has worked for you. Do you ever post any pics yourself? I really would love to see just how they've turned out. All the help from everyone really helped me when I needed it just now. I wonder if the power of positive thought to the nth degree affects firings ;-)))

Susie

I've tried posting a couple of pictures. of a sampler. I don't know if this link will work...

In message , DKat writes

I don't have the space for wheels and glazing. Do I make small things because I have a small workroom? Look forward to seeing just how things go for you from now on.

Susie

ps, who's the cat?

The cat is Shamu, who insist on being exactly where he will be the most trouble. He is a foster who has lived with us for a few years now (a feral kitten who was only going to spend the weekend - I somehow never got around to trying to find a home for him).

Yes, reduction is not going to be friendly to your electric kiln. I have heard of people firing inside a sealed saggar in an election kiln for reduction but I don't understand how. Supposedly you do get some reduction in an electric kiln but it is never going to be enough to give the shino, celadon, copper reds, etc. that you get in a gas or wood kiln. Celadon is one of my favorite glazes and is one I'm going to try to fake in oxidation. I don't have much hope.

There was a potter in NY who called herself the 'Closet Potter'. She actually had her wheel in her closet. She did however glaze and fire elsewhere I believe. I miss her site (I am told she gave up potting). What I'm saying is that you can do wheel work in a very small space but I don't know why you would want to give up time that could be spent on your sculptures.

Speaking of which - How did you get the wonderful colors on your dragon having a picnic on it's belly if you don't do glazing? I can't even imagine having the fine motor control you must have.

Thanks for asking and your interest. I will be reporting as things move along.

Donna

Hi Donna

Shamu looks just lovely, a cat with attitude. Please give him/her a tickle from me. We have a nearly twelve year old black Labrador called Holly who mooches around the house most of the day.

I've just posted more pictures on Flickr

I've made notes against the images regarding glaze, enamels and lustres. I found a long time ago that it's possible to paint enamels onto high fired unglazed porcelain. Did the ancient Chinese used to do this? Lustres don't want to work without the glaze base. Or has anybody out there found a way around this?

Over the years I've collected a rainbow of enamels and lustres. I've got some of the cadmium selenium but don't like their less subtle colours. All the other enamels seem to be pretty well intermixable. Don't worry, I shan't be going back to glaze experimenting with celadon or anything else, but I do so enjoy looking at other peoples' work. I think I've found where I ought to be and stay with it. Just out of interest, have you come across anyone else working in this sort of way with studio porcelain? We've hunted the internet with no luck.

My first two cats are now on Flickr. More cats are popping out of the clay at the moment. I have work on exhibition at Ayr over on the mainland at the moment. I talked to the gallery manager this morning, and she's encouraging me to explore this new direction. I have a few ideas cooking in the back of my mind, so I'll try making them when they're good and ready.

I just *can't* imagine making dragons in the closet :-)) Did you ever get to see any of the Closet Potter's work? Can I find it anywhere on the internet?

I've been putting work into a local pre-Christmas exhibition in Brodick Castle on the Isle of Arran for two or three years now. Because my work is small and fragile, it always goes into a glass display case. The shelving in the case is ten inches deep with around a foot headroom. It also has yellowy-green silk lining which gives a difficult colour cast. Well, I've decided that Next Year I'm going to make a really large dragon out of paper clay and call it either "Breaking out of the Case". Something so large that they just can't get it into the case. They might even have to put in on the grand piano in the drawing room! Is this mutiny?!?

Have a good time Best wishes

Susie

I really have seen nothing like your work here in the U.S. of A. It does remind me of one of my favorite childhood treasures - a swan swimming in flowers that was brought back to me from either England or Japan... Probably England. The new set of pictures is delightful! Dare I ask your price range and if you have ever shipped overseas? We actually keep teasing ourselves with flying over to England some day. Could you tell me where the shop is that has your pieces?

I was surprised to find the closetpotter back on line. Here is some of her things.

In message , DKat writes

Thanks for giving me the line to the closet potter. I really do like some of her work. I'll go back and have another look later. Who's cat No Two in your pictures? Shamu and ?!

Can you post a picture of your swan swimming in flowers - it sounds just lovely. Maybe not the sort of thing that I'd start making, but interesting. Thanks for all your kind comments about my work.

I have sent work over to the US. No, not one of the really big pieces, but something the size of the tea party made it in one piece. I often post the tiny things like the star struck mouse within the UK with no problem. As for shipping the big pieces, that's something I haven't had to work out, yet. Prices vary according to degree of difficulty and size. I made a breakfast scene similar to the tea part for that last exhibition. It was called "Sunshine Breakfast" and had mice sitting round a toadstool, with daffodils for their cereal bowls and a box of Kelloggs Cornflakes in the middle of the "table". That sold for UKP60 to a local buyer. The little miniatures go from UKP10 upwards, plus shipping costs. From there on the prices go up.

By the way, the Isle of Arran where we live is just off the coast of West Scotland. I'm English - we moved up here from West Cornwall nearly

Talk soon

Susie.

Thanks Susie, looking forward to the links. The second cat is my 'evil' Reed. I named him Reed after the college my first born was going away to. Reed is 'my' cat (by that I mean I'm his human) and he really doesn't share well. He is the stereotypical 'cat' and probably the only one that I have ever known.

I'll have to post a picture of Koosh in her bowl for you. The bowl is by a potter in Connecticut and it is driving me nuts that I can't remember his name. I thought it was Mishna but I'm unable to find anything on him.

Your work is amazing ;-) Where do you get lustres - are there recipes for them? Do you have to fire them again after the glaze firing? Thanks! Sue

Thanks for your kind comments. I've just read Steve Graber's post and fully agree with his comments. This group doesn't just give practical help and advice - they gave me support through a very anxious firing of the sibling dragons. I can't thank them enough :-))))))

There are recipes for lustres, but I don't know anything about them. There are books on the market. IIRC Alan Caiger-Smith is a potter whose work is really worth looking at, and he's written a couple of books detailing recipes. Making recipes up doesn't interest me at all. I never was good at sums. I buy in prepared lustres - available from many outlets and some a lot more expensive than others- and follow the instructions. I was very lucky a few years back when a friend gave me the remains of platinum and gold lustres and told me to go away and play. I haven't looked back. What I really enjoy is the challenge and fun of construction of my dragons, and I use the lustres to highlight detail from time to time. The only warning I have is the effect that the solvents containing the lustres can have. Be careful and make sure that the area you're using them in is cool and really well ventilated.

Unless somebody can tell me different, lustres prefer to be applied on top of a fired glaze and then fired on at a much lower temperature in a further firing. As many as it takes, sometimes.

Hope this helps

Happy New Year to everybody

Susie

Hello Donna

I emailed you the other day - did you get it? Please let me know.

Best

Susie