Joseph Fireborn

I am happy with what I am making now. Just wish there was more time.

Your stuff is awesome.

I am seeing over and over again that people are drawn to the things I especially enjoyed making. Do it! Make things that you would love to buy.

That moment when you go into your studio and throw away all the test mugs and cups youve been making over the last year, then realize your trashbag is to heavy to pick up out of the trash can. The sound of funky blues playing in the background and the sudden urge to throw yunomi off the hump. Life is perfect.

Patience always pays off.

i hope so. lots of work ahead of me.

Standard

Did you all already tried to throw with Southern Ice? Absolutely best porcelain to throw, ever!

I haven't. The main reason for buying a bag was to try a glaze combination out that I really enjoyed on stoneware, hoping it would be brighter on porcelain. It ended up being a lot more boring on porcelain as the iron from the stoneware body comes out into the glazes and makes the much more interesting. So I will probably just turn the rest of the bag into slip.

It's La Nina I think. But I have no idea what that means. All I know is its 70 degrees one day, and then below freezing the next. It's absurd and makes everyone have sinus problems all the time. I dont like to work when its that cold, cause even with my heater in the garage it still hurts my body.

You hang in there Joseph I think your doing great work and spring will be here soon.

Thanks. This week is supposed to be nice, so back in the studio I go!

There is an interesting part to selling pots. It is very personal what somebody likes, I have sold many things that I thought looked friggin terrible but the customer loved it because of what I hated.

Great stuff Joseph. I like the rustic look of the glaze. The aged wood you used for the photo surface plays off that idea nicely.

Thanks. I had an old flower pot I just broke up and thought it would help show the look I was going for in my pots. At first I thought it was too distracting, but later I liked it. Sort of makes the pots feel like that's where they belong. I am not sure I am going to keep going down this path though. A lot of decisions to make this week about production. I want to become more efficient and I am not sure that I want to work with a dark stoneware because of the amount of kiln time it takes...

Joseph, can I swipe that idea for an apron for this year's gift exchange down at the studio?!? That would be absolutely PERFECT!!!!

I want to make potter's aprons out of old jeans and I could just SEE that embroidered on the pocket.

It would make a good gift!

If you think putting on mug handles is fun, wait til you pull spouts on pitchers, take a straight edge, center the spout, and back of pitcher, make allighnment marks, pull and attach the handle. Then find out that its been attached to one side!!! I didn't attach a crooked handle..must have been the dogs. "No good deed goes unpunished"! Take in a stray animal and it messes with the handles.

My puppy snatched up my finishing sponge yesterday. I was looking everywhere for it, then I came in and found it everywhere. I didn't think about her messing with my handles as well! No wonder!

A handle can make or break a pot.

you want a job?

i live on the other coast. otherwise i would come work for you anytime.

Seattle Pottery claims their vashon series goes to ^6, as well as their crystal white porcelain. All of those bodies bloat like a gassed-up politician. Sooooo...either the clay's being over-fired, or your kiln might be a bit too hot.

Maybe, but others have stated they have fired to cone 6. I use self supporting witness cones. I am not over firing, if anything under firing. I go to about 5.5.

Good luck I have no idea about bloating.

Hah! P5 throws so great. Literally it does exactly what I want everytime and just feels so good.

Glad you found your sweet spot clay as well.

Yessss, exactly. It's like magic mud glory for the Lord.

I guess I will have to get a subscription to this stuff once I go production. It is just too valuable.

Welp. You can't beat 14 bucks for 180 days of awesome insight.

Nice. I plan on eventually adding more color to my work, but for now I am going to just explore these white/grey/brown tones.

Need to do that.

I was inspired today and can't wait to get my big raku built. Materials are on the way.

nice nice! can't wait to see the tiles.

I got an electric kettle this year for the studio. It's great for heating fresh throwing water and I also heat water to clean my wax resist brush.

My hands ache and burn when I go out there at night. During the day is fine. At night if I run a load of laundry in the dryer and use hot throwing water and wear layers it's not too bad.

Enjoy, learn much!

Wow-what an opportunity--good for you!

Nature has somuch to offer...awe inspiring

It kind of appears you already do Joseph. At the very least, you work has a "weathered" quality.

You should try out ian curries volumetric blending.

I read that thread. I am not to that point yet, right now just looking for beautiful glaze combinations for functional work. Thanks though.

maybe. still have a lot of work to do to find components that go with the glaze. A darker version to spray over, modifiers and fake ash glazes. but yea. the journey for a base might be near. which makes me happy tbh.

At the end of the road lies another. Unless it's a dead end xD

Or your driveway. = )

I will feel more magical when I get the results out of the kiln later this upcoming week. I will fire it tomorrow. I think one of them is a bit too thick. So only time will tell. But it was easier than I thought it was to mix the stuff together, at least a test batch of 400G.

post the results.

Where at? In my gallery?

I'm going to be doing this soon. Have fun.

I will check out your etsy store tomorrow its late. I sieved 100 mesh 8 bucket s of glaze 3 times each by hand with a paint brush. Very tired.

Cool, I posted the email I got from Amazon in the Business and Marketing forum as Amazon Handmade, if anyone is interested. Best wishes for your success.

Neat email. can't read the links but seems like program is pretty good.

That's great! Keep up the good work

Mugs are my fav. good sellers to! I also found I like making pitchers and small creamers with a sugar bowl and lid... A lot of Coffee drinkers out there...

SO glad for you, your pots are really excellent too!

Thanks Babs! Really loving pottery.

I don't always have days like this. But when I get so much done, with a smile. Good on you Joseph.