Posts Tagged “cone 6”

Photo credit Matthias Gelinski, stock.xchange
The Fancy Tiger Holiday Handmade show this weekend is fast approaching and I have been working 7 days a week for the past 4, trying to produce as much work as possible in a short amount of time. I don’t like working like this, and unfortunately, I haven’t learned how to break my self imposed frantic creative cycle. (I seem to repeat this behavior for every event in which I participate.) I don’t know where fall went - if anyone finds what’s left of it, would you please let me know because I sure need some more time before the holidays. Everyday is carefully choreographed for maximum output, and I’m so afraid of dropping one of the balls I’m juggling at the moment.

Porcelain Jar, cone 6
I don’t really have any new photographs to share with you today - though I should have some by the time I write my next post. I’m pretty tired this am after babysitting my kiln all day and night yesterday. I was up until 12am waiting for my kiln to shut off so that I could soak it for a few minutes and to manually lower the temperature to medium to induce a slow cool down. Then I set my alarm for several hours later so that I could turn off my kiln. I really want to get the most from my glazes and fingers crossed will have some good results when I open my kiln later today. Santa, could you please bring me a digital kiln for Christmas so that I don’t have to do this anymore?

Okay, enough whining from me today - does anyone have show strategies they’d like to share that help you deal with the stress?

~Cynthia

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Tags: cone 6, fancy tiger, porcelain pottery, stock.xchange

Stoneware platter, fired to ^6 in oxidation, 13″ x 9.5″
Stoneware platter, fired to ^6 in oxidation, 13″ x 9.5
On Tuesday, I decided to drop by the Art Student’s League of Denver to check whether or not my ceramic platters had been fired. Perfect timing; when I arrived the studio assistant had just cracked the kiln open and had begun unloading the ware. It’s always a bit like Christmas for me peeking inside the kiln after it’s been freshly fired. I helped the studio assistant unload the kiln - it was either that or I would have annoyed the heck out of her waiting, waiting for my work to reveal itself. Here’s what I realized - I need a bigger kiln! These platters just barely fit in my own kiln, so I can not make larger work in my old Paragon.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised when I saw my platters. I had decided to switch clay bodies for my slab work because I’ve found that the porcelain slumps too frequently despite all my best efforts to dry the work slowly. This is a buff colored stoneware that I happened to have in my studio which has more “grog” than the ultra fine porcelain. Many potters I talk with liken throwing porcelain clay to throwing with cream cheese. That’s how soft porcelain is when it’s wet. So, when I saw my new platters, I was very happy.

I’m firing both my kilns today. I have bisque work in the large kiln destined for Summer Art Market on the 9th and 10th of June. In my small kiln, I have ceramic pendants and earrings firing as well. I would like to have my Etsy Shop stocked with Jewelry by next weekend since I am not allowed to sell jewelry at SAM. The Art Student’s League does not teach jewelry, so it is not allowed sold there. I will be wearing some of my jewelry and will direct interested people to my Etsy Shop if they’re interested in the jewelry. I am going to be applying for space at Art-O-Mart at Capsule Gallery, which has no medium restrictions, in September and December. I will also be firing my kilns most likely through next Friday as I prepare for SAM.

I received both of these magazines in the mail on the same day this past week. I was struck by the similarities in design and color palette that both chose as their cover art. After SAM, I plan to warm up my sewing machine again. I am FINALLY going to finish sewing for my home and am going to pick up my Earth Series again. I have still been thinking of ways to combine the 2 mediums. I also have plans to resume work on the craft of making thrown porcelain cake platters after SAM. I’ll be able to work at a more leisurely pace and will be able to concentrate without distraction.

Till later this week,

Tags: ceramic platters, colorado art studio, cone 6, etsy, oxidation, paragon A-88b kiln, porcelain, stoneware