Notes from the Weekend Market
· 2 min read
I keep notes on every firing, even the disappointing ones. It is easy to overthink loading the kiln. It is harder to just start.
The setup
What surprised me most was how little equipment it needed. Functional pots should feel good in the hand before anything else. Some of this will be plain; some of it took me years.
A few details
It is easy to overthink trimming. It is harder to just start. The thrown part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is. Thanks for reading, and for the generous notes that keep arriving. The kiln opened warm, and the first bowl made it all worth it.
Looking ahead
The first two weeks were mostly about unlearning. Mugs are harder than they look; handles most of all. Every firing is a small experiment, and some of them fail. Clay remembers every mistake you make with it.
The glaze looked grey in the bucket and came out deep blue. Most of what I know about firing schedules came from getting it wrong first. Most problems with ash glazes turn out to be problems with time.
- Leave room for functional mistakes
- Start with firing schedules and nothing else
- Leave room for matte mistakes
- Compare against last winter
Getting started
Good firing schedules is mostly a series of small, unglamorous decisions. Below are a few notes, roughly in the order I picked up them. The functional part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is.