Saturday, December 11, 2010

Some out-of-control Shinos ...





I should be mixing glazes for the upcoming firing, which will be opened Saturday, Dec. 18, at our holiday open studio event. But, naaaaahhhh ... I was sorting through pots from the last firing yesterday, getting things out to the gallery and out of my way in the studio. And I found these two small bowls on which the Bright Shino poured over the carbon-trap Shino had crawled into a white web. How do I miss these things when I'm unloading?
Anyway, one more instance of overlapping Shino acting unpredictably.
The way these Shinos fire often reminds me of landscapes from above, and often of the distant landforms of planets other than our own. I spend a fair amount of time looking at astronomical images on the RefDesk.com website, possibly because so much of the extraterrestrial world looks like tight close-ups of Shino pots. Or maybe not ... I don't know.
So, the top two images are of these new small bowls. Next one down is the side of a vase from the last firing and the bottom is a crackle-slipped and fat vase from two firings ago.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Those look like some amazing Glaze effects. Keep producing these wonderful works!

Hollis Engley said...

Thanks, Adam. Loved the pots on your blog, by the way.

Tracey Broome said...

That's some crazy shino, love them! They are so fun to look at :)

Michael Mahan said...

I can't tell from your post if you like the effects or not. I've not worked with a lot of shinos. But I've got one that I'm working with that seems very temperamental. It seems to do best right next to the fire box, or else hidden from the flame toward the back, kind of all or nothing.

Hollis Engley said...

I like them, Mike. That's the kind of thing I'm looking for with my Shinos. And they do great in woodfire, in my experience. They take ashfall really well.

ang design said...

they are amazing hollis ....i see a smiley there...cool!!

Michael Mahan said...

My son Levi did some tests with a shino in this last firing. I haven't paid any attention to the results yet. Maybe I'll post the results.

John Bauman said...

crazy effects. You gotta be happy.

I have a love/hate thing with shinos. As a functional guy in a midwestern market, I'm pretty much decided to use shinos sparingly. It's a challenge to bring my customers to appreciate 'em.

I'm hoping to work with them more in 2011. Part of the plan is to mix them up on the sly, 'cause my wife thinks I'm nuts every time I "waste" a perfectly good pot on yet another shino experiment.

When they come out, there're few pieces more exciting. When they don't there are few pieces duller or more disasterous.

Hollis Engley said...

I guess I'm lucky, John, in that I have people who have gotten used to Shinos over the past few years. And not all of them are scary. People like overlapped white Shino with carbon-trapping, for example. But I'm also in a place professionally where I can make what I want to make. I'd probably make more money with more greens and blues and violets and such, but I've never been happy with most of those colors. I like what I like. It's a luxury, I guess.

janet said...

I can't get enough of those out of control shinos - those are real achers Hollis!

Lizet said...

Those came out really nice! Makes me want to try working with shino

Anonymous said...

i love the fourth picture, the way the cracks seem to glow is amazing