Critique/Tel Hai/First Semester/First and [Some] Second Year Students

Shelley from Jerusalem reminds me now and then when I haven't posted for a while - just in time to take a look at some of the work that caught my eye on the first day of bikoret avoda,a fraught [emotionally] but very enjoyable occasion,with a gratifying amount of good stuff on display.
In the studio I've been hard at work firing three kilns' worth of pots [and some lustres] - good firings,even and well-reduced for a change. I feel I've found the rhythm of the new kiln - it's a good and straightforward kiln,but it still took me 10 firings to get into the swing. Next up is a batch of pots for forthcoming anagamas - both Tel Hi and Meir are firing towards the end of February,which will entail some juggling on my part to show up at both. I currently have five clays in the studio,and hope to make a couple of pieces in each of a number of 50/50 blends for the anagamas - French stoneware,English buff and salt clays,Meir's mix and Coleman porcelain. I have no idea how the blends will come out,but each clay by itself should do something [though,from experience, nothing too spectacular],and I'm hoping that one or two of the mixes will point in a direction for future experiments.