Another Kiln Load Opening Today -- and, Yes, Mixed Again

Today, or possibly tonight (it's still cooled only to around 550 F), I'll be opening another mixed kiln load, but I'm moving in the right direction:  almost all of this load is bisque, and only a handful of glazed pieces.  I think by the next firing, I can have solid one or the other loads.

The kiln yesterday before I started firing.  Only these few pieces on top are glazed.  It's not a very full kiln, but I have a lot of oddly shaped pieces that are going to need their own kiln when I have enough of them.  

Later (next day)  Oops!  I forgot to photograph the kiln when I opened it, but all came out well, and I have a lot of underglaze painting to do now!!

Included in the few glazed pieces are some really cute ones, in my humble opinion.  I've been doing a few smaller pieces as I think I've already mentioned, and among them are some smaller wall-hanging fish that can be hung either vertically or horizontally.  I can imagine how nice a grouping of them on a wall would be.  And, of course, as usual, each piece is unique.  

Remember, if you ever have any questions about any part of my technique or materials (such as clay, underglazes, etc.) that I use, I'll be happy to answer them.  Just drop a comment in the posting.

And if you ever want to see any of my works, they're all at Etsy (except for the two galleries below). 

 https://dottiedracos.etsy.com

My works are also available at Fine Lines Gallery in Sister Bay, WI, and at Nash Gallery in Hilton Head, SC.

And, one final thing:  I no longer do paintings, but prints of my paintings are still available at FineArtAmerica, https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/dottie-dracos/shop.  I get a small commission when one sells.

Another Mixed-Kiln Opening - I've got to stop doing this! Makes me anxious!

This is the kiln after I loaded it.  As you can see, this time I not only mixed bisque and glaze, which generally when I dare do it, I leave all the bisque at the bottom.  This time, I wanted to maximize the density of the load, so I mixed the two.  And fortunately, all came out perfectly! 

                                           Loaded, ready to fire

                                                       Fired!

One of these days I'll get ahead enough that I can properly fire bisque and glaze loads separately.  I just can't work any faster, though -- or won't, I should say!

It was a really dense kilnload this time, where I even stacked the bottom shelf three-high with bone-dry pieces; I did allow for the weight and shape of each piece, of course, and I fire only to cone 05, so I have no problem if the pieces are generally rather lightweight.  

Lately, just for fun again, I've been doing more and more thrown and altered pieces, and it's working out well.  For instance, in this load, I threw several fish-shaped closed cylinders, tail bottom, head top.  Then I hand-shaped the thrown pieces further, elongating here, thinning there, etc., until I got what I was heading for.  Then I drew a like from the top (mouth) down either side to the bottom, then split the piece into two pieces -- two fish for the effort of one!  The rest was easy!  Just add parts, details, hangers, signature, then dry to fire.  I haven't painted the ones I've bisqued yet, but I will in the next few days and will try to remember to show a few of them.  

(By the way, please never, never, ever directly copy my work!  First, it's just wrong, wrong to do so; and second, my style is copyrighted, and I even have strangers who let me know if they see a copied piece somewhere.  Usually, they're so awfully done that I ignore it, but sometimes I go after the malfaiteur ("evildoer") and have them cease and desist -- and tell them to do their own creating and not steal the work and talent of the creator!