Tuesday 4 November 2008

Countdown to firing

Today I did a load of decorating. I was pretty tired, I felt rough yesterday so slept half the day, got to work late, then had to go back after tea for an evening shift. I have to get the bisc kiln on every day and couldn't afford another day off. It's too small for what I'm trying to do, but it's all I have at the moment so it'll have to do for a while until I can afford to upgrade.



The wood firing's drawing near - a week tomorrow - exciting! It'll be the first one since July. I don't have enough pots really, so it'll be an open pack. Another week of making would have been good, but that's always the way. I realise now that a lot of time went into making all the tableware that went through the electric kiln so I wasn't making pots for this firing. It's not a problem, this is going to be an interesting firing, lots of new things happening, even though it's going to be mainly jugs - big jugs, plus some slightly smaller jugs and a few more slightly smaller jugs - lots of jugs, I just love making jugs, that's the problem. When I say 'jugs' I mean UK jugs, which are the same as US pitchers. Ther is going to be a US jug in there too(a UK bottle).




This is Tim and Sue's clay from the Croyden cemetery. I've been looking at some crazily decorated Medieval pots, so some of the deco in the recent pots have been heavily influenced, including this mug. There are some jugs that I've decorated that are smothered in applied adornments. I'll maybe post them tomorrow if I'm feeling brave enough - certainly I wonder whether they're the sort of pots, like this mug, that you probably have to have an appreciation of English medieval pottery, in order to really like them?



This mug has a black slip, with subsequent pours of white. Blogger Matt's coming down to help Marky Mark and me with the firing - he's a dab hand with a chainsaw. Alex and Steve will be back to do some filming too. I've got some pots from Alex and one of his students coming, made from Hollyford clay that he took back with him last time. Also some of Hannah's and a few made by my good buddy Simon Hancox. Matt and Marky Mark will have pots in there too. There are one or two other pots around still, including one of Brad's. Thinking about it, I may have enough after all! Eek, under pressure, got to get off the computer, Joe's got homework to do on here. Cheers all

6 comments:

ang design said...

how excitementing!! a true community firing put a pot in for me!

doug Fitch said...

You should send one some time Ang and I will!

potterboy said...

Doug - when do you open the kiln? I'm down next week to help Nic (13th onwards) - hopefully we'll meet up - perhaps if I don't see you at Nic's I could pop in on the way home on the Monday? Won't stay long, but would like to see what comes out.

Hannah said...

hello again, long time no see. Love the mug with the wee thumbed pads of clay on there. i was admiring some Roman bottles just like that in a German museum that Niek took us to on sunday. tasty was not the word, very droolsome

doug Fitch said...

Evenin' all, welcome home Hannah, I look forward to hearing all about it. That would be grat Andrew - it should all be out on the Friday. It'd be good to see you.

ang design said...

what a lovely offer, that will require me using the red stuff.....will have to put that on my to do list for holidays this year...what's the white slip made of??