Hulk

Just been doing some experimenting since I have plenty of bowls, mugs, spoon rests, etc.  I'm thinking about entering our local guilds call for entry, it's the annual teapot show.   I had a dream about something like this so am trying to get it right.  This is the second prototype and it's getting closer.
Also been making taller two part vases, but the problem is my kiln is only 18 inches deep and 23 inches wide so i can't go too big.  This vase is 20 inches tall wet, hoping it fits and fires on its side ok.
 

Did the farmers market again this week, my big seller this time was small lidded jars.  I made a bunch last week and sold them all.  Forgot to take pictures whoops.
 
Guess I'll go ahead and make a bunch more of those!

Table vase from recent firing. This one used a white glaze on the entire piece inside and out. As compared to the one before you can see how the white glaze bleaches browns on the SS 630

@liambesaw, the way I see it, it’s much better to start out with low prices, and raise them if the pots are flying off the shelf. Compared to starting out with overpriced pots, and having to lower the prices. Especially at a recurring market like a farmers market, where the same customers are going to see the evolution of your prices. 
Also, don’t let others pressure you into raising your prices. Especially from across the internet. We don’t know the area where you’re selling. Every location has different market forces. Base your pricing decisions on how fast your pots are selling. 
From across the internet, I can’t judge the weight and balance of your pots. But from what I can see, your pots are very attractive and of good craftsmanship. So present them with a sense of respect, not like bargain fodder. Which is related, but not specifically the same thing, as the number on the price tag. 
This market is a good choice for your first attempt at fair selling, due to its low booth fee. You can continue to do it this summer for the experience, but I would also start looking for something that is a step up. Where you won’t be selling pots next to snake oil. 

@Bloomfield Pottery
Yes,
That is quite high time wise. Have you downloaded the manual above and  set your switches appropriately? If yes, then you may need to check your elements. Elements wear and as they wear firings will take longer as their resistance increases their output decreases. Elements that wear or increase in resistance by 10% generally should be replaced as they usually have difficulty achieving high fire temperatures. This is especially true for cone 8 kilns more so than cone ten kiln firing at cone 6  as they simply have less power available.
your kiln. Is 240v, 24 amps so new, the combined resistance of all your elements will be 10 ohms. Once this combined resistance goes up by 10% or to 11 ohms its likely time to change them as making cone six with full power applied begins to take super long or cannot be achieved..
A normal fast glaze often takes about six hours and a slow glaze say 7 to 9 hours but this can vary from kiln to kiln.

My answer may be a little different, because it concerns someone else’s ceramics... but I was his HS teacher.  Many years ago, I had an extremely gifted student who was enrolled in each of my art classes throughout  his 4 years of high school.  I needed to be a Jack of All Trades, as the only art teacher in a rural high school... taught First Year Studio, Drawing and Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture and of course, Ceramics. His 3rd year, after Studio, and Drawing and Painting, he enrolled in Ceramics.  However, he always seemed to gravitate right back to his easel... he really was getting better and better at painting, BUT he was ignoring his Ceramics.  I knew he had a bright future, and was trying to help him get a scholarship to college... BUT did not want to mess up his chances with a low grade in Ceramics... so we made a bargain.  I would sustain his 4.0, but he had to put in double time after school or whenever, to get his Ceramics done.  Well, he did it. Then went on to win  a scholarship to the Boston Museum School (affiliate Tufts U, at Boston Museum of Fine Arts.). His first year in Boston, he excelled in Ceramics and became a fantastic, prolific, creative  potter. (but still painted :-) That young man went on to work at the Guggenheim, then the Smithsonian.  Now in his forties, he just completed a book, and has created an exhibit comparing Matisse’ inspiration to the work of native Alaskan indigenous peoples.  He has made me proud. :-)

Smithsonian Craft Show.
20 years ago I thought it was an impossible goal. 20 years from now, I'll be thinking "I can't believe that really happened."

I think for me it is designing and testing  C 1   Majolica  glaze and clay body for two years that would hold up to nasty icy winter weather.  I wanted to keep the rich and brilliant color that is lost with higher firings.   I am working on another project that is just as difficult and lots of testing,  I am not there yet but I am confident  I will get the results I want.  Denice

For me it may be building two salt kiln conversions at a Molkai Art center on two different trips. Pro Bono as well. I am in the giving back space of life and passing on knowledge is part of that process. It felt right and was for a good cause . It still feels great years later

That's a very tough question.  It's a great question, just tough to answer.  
I would say the thing, I am currently most proud of, is having myself and my Art Club make mugs for all the Staff, in our Building.  It ended up being about 90 mugs.  I did most the heavy lifting, in regards to throwing, as I wanted them to be consistent, but the kids added handles and a raised mascot head, that we press molded.  They also glazed everything.  
The Staff seemed very appreciative, especially the Associated, Kitchen Staff, and Custodians, who don't get a lot of credit and recognition.  The Head Custodian, came up and gave me a hug!
We are still making them for new Staff as well, as a Welcome.  The goal was only to do a few here and there, but we've had quite a bit of turnover, for various reasons, so we've been busy...

This is difficult to say, I was inspired to get back into clay while sitting in the library in the basement of an art museum, surrounded by books in Japanese and Chinese pottery. I’ve always had an interest in digging my own clay and networked with other potters doing the same. I’m proud of formulating clay body and glaze from scratch, and often in unguided territory with raw harvested materials. Working with Leach’s Old Yellow was amazing and I’ll have to say working with AG-19 glaze, Pleydell-Bouverie and Rhodes glazes kind of define what I like about clay

Oh MY! Questions in the question bank, glad to know folks are getting tired of me presenting my questions! LeeU recently posed the following: What is your most unapologetic, shamelessly proud, pat-yourself-on-the-back accomplishment of any type in your ceramics life (a terrific piece, a  great sale, a sharp business strategy, a fine friend made, a good deed done, a land traveled, a discovery---etc. etc.)?  
Wow! that is a mouthful, but a thoughtful question. I can't say that there has been any one thing that stands out for me.  There have been times I have won awards at a local juried show, or even been shown in a State wide juried show. There have also been the times when I had thrown very large forms, even for most of the other students around me at PSU. Then there was being elected chapter president for the Blair County Guild of Craftsmen, or more recently elected to the board of the Potters Council by members. All of these, are of note, but in the long run do not last very long.
One of my most recent pats on the back came in the form of a letter from the church next door.  Last year one of the church members, an older woman, requested that I make a pair of chalices and a long french loaf paten for the church in memory of her daughter that had passed recently. I told her I would be happy to do it, but that it would take me probably a year as I was in the middle of orders and would be into Winter when I could not get things done. She accepted that, and had been patient. Order delivered not too long ago, she was very pleased. The church letter came a week later stating that the Communion set had been used blessed and used for the congregation communion. The letter stated that they were so blessed to have such a great talent in their midst! If they only knew how so little of it was talent, but more trial and error, and making the paten 3 times! But I still pat myself on the back. . . softly!
 
best,
Pres

Well I did my farmers market today, got out in the sun and got a lot of sketching done :/
Made 55 dollars, which was more than i was expecting since this was a 20 tent market and I was one of two Craftsmen there.  
luckily the booth fee was only 10 dollars!
man there are some really weird people out there...
Guy to the left of me was selling bleach water (FOR DRINKING!!!) and the booth across from me was selling essential oils... Don't these people know how dangerous those things are!? 

working on a new batch of pots for soluble salts. will be writing 2 articles about discoveries in PMI and Revisita Ceramica International. Workshop schedule filling up for 2020. 
 
Marcia

Hi folks, 
I have been doing some thinking about the white liner glaze that I have been dipping the hazelnut and the white clays in before spray glazing. So I decided to try a piece without glazing the whole piece in the white glaze, just the inside and neck. I think you can see the difference. Seems like to me, the white is bleaching out the cream rust glaze here, pieces I had sprayed with the cream rust, the variegated blue and the rutile green would always be more blue and green. Interestingly enough, the hazelnut pieces would have more browns in them. 

 
best,
Pres

Can't wait!
 
 
Did another test last night, trying to make an iridescent copper lustre.  So close!  Came out a little too red for my taste but wow the depth it adds to the glaze is so beautiful!!  This recipe was bismuth and iron salts, I think an addition of silver salt will tone down the red and add silver bringing it closer to copper.  Hard to capture in photos 
 
This weekend I'll be bisquing and glazing lidded jars and sponge holders, last load before farmers market on Wednesday.

My workbench /wheel is now empty after a two week production  run that may have been one of my largest output periods ever. The last two kilns are firing now and the van is about 2/3 full for an upcoming big show. This last two kiln loads has my wall fish and odds and ends in them. I plan on a small ceramic break after the show and do some diving before returning to my remodel for a few weeks in August. I'll get back to clay near end of month for fall shows .
Now packing for a huge show and a dive trip all in same vehicle .

What's on my workbench? My sister!! She drove up from Virginia. She has been taking some pottery classes in Roanoke. So she loaded her car with greenware (!!) and we bisqued them over the last few days. Now she is glazing her work for the glaze fire. The 05 fire was very lightly loaded with just her items but I have pieces to add for the cone 5 fire, so the kiln will be more balanced and full. She doesn't know I took these pics--I was sneaking around outside the studio (she doesn't like being photographed--opps, too bad!) It has been great fun doing this somewhat "together". 

Some of 75 assorted mini vases for wedding favours, 60 done, 15 more to do.

 

Reposted as I had it in the wrong strand!  These are a few from the last load.
 
 

 
 

 
 
best, 
Pres

Condolences Chilly.
...I'm still noting topics for next conversation with Dad - coming up will be twelve years - Mom was always easy to chat with, Dad, I kept/keep a running list of things to talk 'bout. I believe Mom watches out for me; coming up will be five years ...dozens of occasions I'll have a random thought to turn here, stop and check a tire, etc. right before a tight spot; thanks Mom!

As I noted, in my recent Status Update, my cat Mari, hangs out in the studio, sometimes more than I do.  The past couple months, she was sleeping against my tool storage bag, and it was matted with her fur.
She used to get into my throwing water bucket, and steal my sponge.  I'd have to follow the trail, to figure out what she did with it.  
My daughter will occasionally come in, as she has an easel in there.  When she was younger,she used to come in, when I was trimming, and collect all my scraps to throw in my reclaim container.  She doesn't do that anymore...

Hulk, Is that a self-cleaning wheel???? There would be a market for that - a Roomba for the studio, too. Sigh. I expect it is too good to be true, but maybe some day.
I use a bluetooth speaker, too - listen to audio books, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting) podcasts, and ABC (Australian Broadcasting) podcasts.

Bandit keeps me company.  I hope it is true that dog hair fires out in the kiln!

Understand house having an attitude. Years ago, our starter home that we never moved from had an attitude. Doors we knew were closed were open, footsteps sounded in the middle of the night, things in the attic were moved around, doors would slam without any reason. Disconcerting! Over the years, we have made major changes to the house, stripped rooms to bare walls and redone, added space with bump outs at old porches, created different movement patterns by consolidating smaller rooms, and made a bathroom suite across the back of the second floor while adding a downstairs bath. House is now quite quiet. I guess things are at rest or it wasn't home anymore. We did find out that there was a tragedy when someone died in a burning kitchen, evidenced from framing exposed during a kitchen renovation a few years ago.
 
best,
Pres