Joseph Fireborn

Denice,

The firing was subpar; as to be expected I presume after 3-4 years of not firing consistently. I have dismantled my pottery studio and it is all sitting there unused. I am debating on selling it all. I just don't have the urge right now, but I know I cannot replace it for the price I will sell it for, so I haven't.

I am terribly sorry to hear about your cancer. You are on the right path, search for only the best doctors. I went through years of cancer treatment and if it wasn't for the best doctors in the south east I am pretty sure I would not be here typing this message for you today. I wish you all the best and I know if anyone can beat it, you can.

Much love!

Thank you for the pep talk,  I am going to start calling tomorrow, I tried Friday and everyone was closed.  What I am going through is nothing compared to what you had to endure.   I  wouldn't sell your equipment,  stuff it in a corner.   You will be wanting to get back into it in a few years.   I sold my kickwheel  after I bought a used Brent.    The man who bought it  was around 45 years old,  he had done pottery in high school.   The day he purchased it he just found out he had been appointed to a high level security job with the government.   Several months later  I received a photo of a pot and a message that my kickwheel had saved his life.   He said his new job had so much stress that throwing every night is the only thing that kept him sane.  You better hang on to it,  who knows there maybe another pandemic in a few years.    Just a thought,  have you ever considered making teapots,  you can start out with a one cupper and work your way up.   With love Denice

Everyone's journey is different. Doesn't mean it isn't hard to endure. Don't compare and contrast, just focus on you and your plan.

Kiln in a corner.

My wife said the same thing and she is a brilliant woman who I always listen to. So for now it sits in a corner. The kickwheel story is sort of the same story as mine. My hands were badly frozen up and I had nothing during the day, so it sort of saved my life in a way as well.

Right On Brother!   Denice

And finished about 30 minutes ago. Gotta love L&L. Making frenchfries to eat while my kiln breaks in! Yummm. Pictures going to the forum post about the TC's now.

Ahhhhh! Studio is nice and clean. Swept. Mopped. Hand sponged all surfaces.  What a great way to start next week. New elements, new TC, clean studio, and some new glaze test!

I know! I emailed him immediately, but it looks like his etsy shop is closed and his facebook hasn't been updated in a while. I am guessing maybe he is out of the business or has moved on?

I saw a lot of people on Etsy are now selling the same type of tool, but his craft was so good. Hard to accept moving on!

The handle fits my hand so very well.

I'm guessing that the carbide broke when you dropped it...how many pieces? If you have any welding experience, you may be able to silver solder the pieces back together and grind the joints to the original cross-section. Otherwise consider taking it to someone that does have such experience...

My studio was in a small building in our back yard when my son was a baby,   they didn't have baby monitors yet but I had this weird radio system.    I would work in my studio and listen to him sleep,  when he woke I would here giggling  and playing.   I knew my time was limited.  I would start cleaning up and head on into the house about the time of the first cry.   He started walking at 8 months old so I really enjoyed listening to him and not having to follow him around the house.     Denice

My son will be walking next month for sure. He is already standing up on his own and balancing!

They're intense at that age! The work gets slower, but it still happens. 

good time to plan for the next steps you want to take.  drawing what is in your head, checking if you are prepared for actually working with clay when it gets warmer and you feel better.  

I have spoke to a bunch of people who had a miserable holiday  break including  myself and  my husband.  My husband told me yesterday that he couldn't wait to get back to work at least he gets paid for being miserable.  The gray skies and extreme cold doesn't help.  I am still down and out from my MS relapse,  I have two half finished pots in my studio but they are so cold  I don't have a problem with them drying out.  Denice

Tom, I posted some pictures of a vase just for you.

Enjoy.

I think they are reasonable representations of wood fired pieces, fresh out of an electric kiln. 

I am not trying to replicate wood fired pieces, I just really like those surfaces. 

Have to admit I've made that mistake more than once. 

oh, don't worry, joseph, your notes will turn up about 10 minutes after you unload the kiln.

So I got very lucky and this firing was pretty much perfect. 

willing to accept donations!!!

Good luck!   Denice

Think about using this glaze to do your line blend - https://digitalfire.com/4sight/recipes/cone_6_dolomite_matte_base_glaze_121.html

I used this and a clear in a line blend to get an excellent satin white liner glaze. Came out to use 40% clear and 60% dolomite matte. Had 3 good candidates to choose from. I was looking for a white liner that was not to shiny but not scratchy. 

Cool. I will try if what I did doesn't work. Yarr! 

Good luck, hope it all goes well! 

@Judith B Thanks. I have a while. November 28th to get three good drinking vessels. So I am just going to start saving the best of each of my kiln loads and then submit sometime in november. 

Hope you share more later about this new method and pics of the texture. Actually, I did not know what "crackle slip" is, but I found this snippet online, which includes a recipe...is yours real different? Just curious.  http://www.potters.org/subject15984.htm

Lee.

I posted a picture yesterday of my slip on a greenware pot. It doesn't have the crackles yet because it doesn't crack until I have fired it. Here is a picture: 

The slip decoration alone adds a lot of texture to the pot, all the tiny holes from my brushing technique, then on top of that it will form cracks and large "mud" cracks which resemble dried earth. If you look in my gallery you can see some recent work that shows that under stoneware pots.

I don't use a recipe. I use a clay with a high shrinkage rate with some chemicals added to it. A lot of trial and error.

I also just posted a picture on instagram of a platter/bowl that has been bisqued and shows the micro cracks starting.

Knowing how dedicated you are you will make an awesome teacher. Kudos on your grades and Masters acceptance. 

It's a wonderful career to have, Joseph. I too have been an economist but have spent the last twenty years teaching secondary math with a middle grades specialty.

Gabby that is awesome! I am so excited to be there in a few years. 

Thanks Min for those words of encouragement!

I am happy for you  also, I know you have been working towards this moment and all of your hard work paid off.  Denice

Photos???

@Marcia Selsor I know! It is raining here and I was planning on spraying and cleaning up a bit. Instead I am just going to throw all day.

@Denice Thanks!

@Roberta12 umm, you can check my gallery or my instagram link in (profile.)

me, three!   hope all the folks around you are well and that you are happy.

four and surely there are more 

Hi Joseph! Greetings from Montana. Hope all is well. We have a lot of smoke blowing in from CA, Idaho and Oregon. Very dry here.

Nice. I have some really beautiful wood ash results that I just pulled out of the kiln. I am very happy with them. Formulated them all myself. Getting the hang of the feldspars. Out of the earth and into the fire was an absurd recommendation from John. I miss him.

I talk to John on occasion still.

I just emailed him thanking him for all his past post. They are enlightening. 

If you were a mariner your vessel would be a sailboat.

I think you enjoy the journey as much as the destination. 

This is very true. I like a good journey, lots of interesting discussion and things to see along the way.

Happy holidays to everyone.   Denice

yes happy holidaze

I read your last greeting with sleepy eyes and thought it said happy holiglaze. 

I bet your having a great Christmas with your little one running around the tree!  Denice

And a Happy New Year!!!

Yes happy new year to all