Wednesday, December 17, 2008

A'glazin' we will go ...




I thought I would document the way unglazed pots on shelves dominate my studio just before I start glazing. Which is now. I thought this just as I was about to start glazing, so anyone who knows me will tell you that this blog post is just an avoidance tactic. Well ... it is. So sue me.
I prefer to glaze a load of pots over at least two days, to give myself time to think about what I'm doing. So I'll start today and finish tomorrow, then candle Thursday-Friday overnight and turn the burners up early Friday morning. We open at 11 a.m. Saturday, the first of two days of our holiday open studio.
I dry-stack my kiln, which I think I've mentioned before. I picked it up from Toff Milway at Conderton Pottery in the Cotswolds. Loading the kiln before glazing helps me understand how many pots I have, how they fit in the kiln, what can go on the bottom, what on the top and what in the middle. And I get to make decisions about what needs to be in a particular firing and consider what can stay out until another day.
Once it's stacked, I take the shelves out one by one - usually still loaded with pots and props - and set them in various places around the studio not already occupied by glaze buckets. I usually label the back shelves so that things go back in order. And then I'm off.
Which is the point I'm at now. So I'd better get to it.

5 comments:

doug Fitch said...

Good luck!

Marcus said...

Good looking load of pots, pop. I saw some cool kitchen pots this weekend that I wanted to show you -- meant for salt or other spices, I think, sort of like a mug with a 45 degree bend halfway up, so you could reach in and take a pinch. Reminded me of some of your stuff.

Hollis Engley said...

Thank you, my boy. I've seen those salt cellars. Pretty cool things. Very old-fashioned. In fact, I think one or two of my online friends who have blog links on my blog might make them.

Hollis Engley said...

And thanks, Doug. Bottom two shelves are almost there. They're always the hardest for me. But I've got an incentive tonight. There's a holiday party at the Woods Hole Public Library, with food and drink and friends. So ... gotta get those last few lower pots glazed.

Ron said...

Looks like a good system. Better to take a couple days and do it right than to rush through making a mess of things. Hope it's a great firing and sale.