Invitation

Go To Slip

I hope to do another salt-firing at Tel Hai in October, so,while the most recent crystal kiln was firing, I started making some more slab-built mugs,here waiting for a coat of coloured slip.

Superbowl

For the last two months I've been immersed in this crystal-glazed bowl challenge; there's still one large bowl to glaze and fire,with a few accompanying tall bud-vases,but the cycle is coming to a close. After the earlier cracking on unfired pieces I was relieved and surprised to find that all the bowls that reached bisc also survived the arduous glaze fire [cone 9- 1260º]. Out of 7 large bowls fired three came out really well [the ones in the pictures],two are quite nice but not exactly what I was looking for,and two are not-so-wonderful [but I might try adding a layer of glaze and refiring them]. I'm very happy with the results- the two bowls for the exhibition ["Superbowl",Opera House,Tel Aviv,4th Sept-15th Nov] are nearly 40cms accross,much larger than I've managed before. Some good vases,tea-bowls and even a shallow plate [top picture] also came out of the firings. I restricted myself to two versions of the glaze- this silver-on-tan and a green version- to try to eliminate a few variables [each different version of the same glaze needs its own small adjustments] which seems to have helped. Not that I've come to any startling conclusions from this period of work,except that close attention and persistence seem to be essential- as the philosophers say,"necessary but not sufficient".