Family Day weekend at my sister's. Another brush pile to burn and another barrell firing to add to my limited experience.. So, we did have fun and yes, you win some and you lose some. AND, I especially want to thank my brother-in-law and my husband for helping with moving and lifting 'the stuff'..thanks, guys! Also, my wonderfully talented photo journalist niece for the great documentation of the day! :) AND, my also wonderful generous sister for her hospitality, food, fun and hugs. -love you!
I was going for the burnt orange colours this year and used only red iron oxide, salt, miracle grow, some dryer lint and a few small pieces of spruce and cedar boughs. There were two lots of sawdust, one very fine and the other 'regular' shavings. Most of my pieces have lots of black on them, and only a minute showing of anything close to orange. Of the seven orbs, only three have no major fawls--my favourite of the three I posted here.
I was going for the burnt orange colours this year and used only red iron oxide, salt, miracle grow, some dryer lint and a few small pieces of spruce and cedar boughs. There were two lots of sawdust, one very fine and the other 'regular' shavings. Most of my pieces have lots of black on them, and only a minute showing of anything close to orange. Of the seven orbs, only three have no major fawls--my favourite of the three I posted here.
My UNeducated guess is that the fine sawdust created toooo much smoke and therefore did not let the r.i.o. 'do its' thing'..and I think I did not use enough kindling sticks betweent the pieces to create a good burn. There are a couple of pictures of the two half garbage cans I used. What do you think, pyro people? Any advice/comments are greatly appreciated.
Tucking the garbage cans into the burn pile is just a fun way to do this, but it is ackward to get the pieces laid in them and still really see what I am doing, especially the one that has no bottom in it...The can on the right has a bottom -with holes- and 'the guys' :) suggested we put it on top of the part of the pile that was still burning after the initial blaze was finished. Sounded like a good idea the time, but then those pieces that were, in my mind, not quite finished, really did get blackened. We did add more fine sawdust to that can which ignited quickly on top of the flaming logs. 
This picture shows the long 'wall art' which did not fit into either can, so I propped it up against the can.
This is where the ...."and you lose some" comes in...:) Big cracks that ended in the big break...tooo bad., it was kind of neat.. The other factor that I wonder about, is that I used a white stoneware (cone 6) and only bisqued to 010 which is the general suggestion, which, therefore, produces quite fragile work, right? and maybe too fragile for how I this was fired.
The other 'wall art' survived! 
The colouring in the photo is not great, and it does have an orange blush on the front side. This one is fourteen and a quarter inches; the other was eighteen and a half. So...crop it up to experience. :) I do want to continue learning about this..think I am hooked!..but do want earthy colours in the work. Also, using half of a 45 gallon drum would be better, I think - better diameter and size to work with. So it was a fine time in the fresh country air: also got to see my son and daughter-in-law who came out for the afternoon., wonderful meal with the family and birthday wishes to my brother.xo.:) Hope you are all enjoying the Olympic coverage from beautiful Vancouver. Go World Go..
This is where the ...."and you lose some" comes in...:) Big cracks that ended in the big break...tooo bad., it was kind of neat.. The other factor that I wonder about, is that I used a white stoneware (cone 6) and only bisqued to 010 which is the general suggestion, which, therefore, produces quite fragile work, right? and maybe too fragile for how I this was fired.
The other 'wall art' survived! 
The colouring in the photo is not great, and it does have an orange blush on the front side. This one is fourteen and a quarter inches; the other was eighteen and a half. So...crop it up to experience. :) I do want to continue learning about this..think I am hooked!..but do want earthy colours in the work. Also, using half of a 45 gallon drum would be better, I think - better diameter and size to work with. So it was a fine time in the fresh country air: also got to see my son and daughter-in-law who came out for the afternoon., wonderful meal with the family and birthday wishes to my brother.xo.:) Hope you are all enjoying the Olympic coverage from beautiful Vancouver. Go World Go.. 
Trish, if you want those burnt orange colors, try burnishing the pot at hard leather hard, then when bone dry apply red terra sig. You can also get copper sulfate at a farm supply store and apply that with a mix that I don't have right at hand, but google Edge Barnes saggar fire. Ceramics Daily has a good article on him and his "swamp juice" recipe. He is brilliant with the orange colors. I really like the black and white though, the pots in your photos are beautiful. The breakage could be from clay that isn't groggy enough, it needs to be a good sturdy clay, I bisque to ^05 and I use raku clay from Highwater. I very rarely get breaks with this clay. I will be doing a saggar fire this weekend with some friends. If I learn anything new, I'll pass it on.
ReplyDeleteWow, I love your results. In my firing I used B-Mix a cone 10 kind of smooth stoneware clay, not too groggy, but I bisque fired it to cone 06. I never had one break but I only made bowls nothing long like your wall pieces. For my barrel firings I put kindling and newspaper in the bottom, then sawdust, then I also used some of that hickory chips for smoking food, then I sprinkled copper carbonate and RIO around the pots. then more kindling and more sprinkles, then split avocado and eucalyptus wood. the eucalyptus wood burns hot Oh and twisted newspaper to get the fire going. One other of my firings I soaked burlap in seasalt water for a couple of hours, then I let it dry in the sun then I sprinkled the same ingredients inside a square of it and tied the pot up inside with paper tape and twine - like a saggar, sort of tight but not too tight - I got the best colors with that method, the salt burning gives off TOXIC FUMES so you have to be very sure to stay clear of it once it starts burning. But I did get the orange with the first method too.
ReplyDeleteI just came back to blow up your black and white pots, they are spectacular, did you put a coating on them after you fired them? they are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI mean enlarge them to see them better Ha
ReplyDeleteTracey and Linda..thanks for your help and comments.. much appreciated. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, last year I did bisque that M370 to 06 and had only one crack on a thick bottomed pot --now I think that is the way to go..they are just to fragile for me this way.
I will check out the Edge Barnes info for sure..looking forward to the next firing.
Linda..I warmed the pots in the oven and then rubbed in floor paste wax on each, then buffed and polished...very nice finish :)
Thanks again ladies...have a super day..OH, Tracey, I will email you with some 'must see' ideas for Gerry in Vancouver. :) cheers, T.
trish those pots are fantastic! too bad the one broke. i'm going to keep this post and these comments, i must try this sometime. yet another thing to add to my list lol :)
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