Face Jug Re-Fire

Jeff and our friends Paul Haigh and Rose Hardesty, fired a wood kiln in Carthage last month. Luck would have it that it was during the hottest days of July, not the best time to wood fire. Unfortunately they didn't get the reduction they wanted. It's hard to fire a wood kiln that your aren't all that familiar with. Paul had a deadline to meet so Jeff offered to re-fire his face jugs in our gas kiln. Paul came to the studio and loaded his pots in the afternoon. Jeff gave it a good pre-heat until bed time, then continued the firing the next day.

It was a lot of fun to see the door come down, revealing pots that are nothing like we make!

Paul was really happy with the results. He had some Green Man jugs that were just fabulous.

The tiki jug really looks like it was carved from wood.

I had a couple of  lackluster wood fired plates that I made two years ago and were re-fired in this recent wood kiln... they were now fired AGAIN in the gas kiln. Two of them actually look pretty good. I will get some pictures once they are sanded.  Third times a charm!

Out of the kiln

We unloaded the gas kiln a few days ago and then moved right on to other things. I am finally getting around to looking at the pictures I took while we unloaded. Overall it was a really good firing. 

I was a little disappointed that one of my large carved bowls slumped. It's hard to see in the photo, but in person it's very obvious. The conclusion is that the foot ring was too small to support it. The slump is definitely around the foot ring. I also probably trimmed a little to thin around it. I have three more similar size bowls to fire. I am hoping they will survive.

One is a wedding gift that I need at the beginning of October.

 Remember the creepy face jug?

He came out pretty creepy.

... and look at Jeff's kimchi jar back there, SWEET!

Working Out. . . . side

We are enjoying some fabulous weather here in Seagrove, NC. Warm days, cool nights. Windows open and A/C off. Perfect days to glaze pots outdoors.

 I don't usually make face jugs. I am not really even a fan of them. A few months ago, while making luminaries, I turned one into a face jug. It's been sitting on a ware board all summer, waiting for glaze.

I brushed this creepy guy with red iron oxide and wiped most of it off. He was then dipped in shino and dusted with wood ash. He has copper red dripping from his ears and dotted on his eyeballs. I went all out "Halloweeny" on him. Perhaps seeing all the candy corn that is already on the store shelves inspired me. It's now up to the kiln to enhance his creepiness.

The last of the "Mugs for Moving" are glazed and ready to fire. If you are still waiting for yours, you'll be getting it soon! Thanks again to all who helped us out.