Marian Williams, Author at Marian Williams Pottery

Frustrating 16 Hour Firing! But…Great Results!

Firing a gas kiln in reduction successfully requires learning your kiln’s moods, character, quirks, and happy spots.

I thought I knew Thelma, my older fiber gas kiln, pretty well. But then I did the unthinkable! I MOVED a shelf!

So the bottom shelf was cracked and when Malcolm Greenwood saw where it was positioned recently, he suggested that I raise it up a bit…so I did. When it was raised up, it left a gap that I thought might allow the flames to escape through – and right up the flue. So I added a small piece of kiln shelf to cover this gap.

The firing seemed to be going fine until about 1100 degrees celsius…then things went wonky. The firing took 16 hours and I never got cone 10 to fall – I finally just gave up after trying everything!

I dreaded opening the kiln and actually waited two days before opening it… an all time record for me!

But….to my amazement, the firing was great – one of my recent bests! I guess the heat and time did the work!

I also saw what the problem was! The little bag wall/gap filler had fallen over the burner ports covering them by half! So, no wonder I couldn’t get to temp!

I did learn some good lessons:

Even though the kiln was in oxidation at the end of the firing, all of my copper reds looked great!
Cone 9 might be a happier place for some of my glazes!

The moral to this little story is: You NEVER quit learning! And Just when you think you know your kiln, you don’t!

Good firing to you all!

Marian

Refires…Do They Work, Look Better?

Firing Glazes

Refiring work is risky…it can warp, bloat, run, look worse…OR it can look so much better!

I tend to gamble on the second part and I do refire pieces that I think “deserve” a second chance.

So what do I mean by “deserve”? Well, the piece that is technically, structurally sound; the piece that just missed a spot or two of glaze; the piece that needs more “oomph” to the glaze; or the piece that looks/is underfired, in my opinion, deserves a second chance.

When I reglaze a piece for a refire, I, firstly, make sure that it is dust free.

Then I spray a glaze completely over the inside of the piece, adding accent glaze here and there – it’s a gamble, but it’s fun to try to improve on the ugly! You’ve already gone to the trouble of making it, bisquing it and firing it once…why not go the next step and try to make it worthy of your efforts!

Here are a bunch of refires and I’ll let you judge for yourself:

refired pottery — The mug LOOKED better…but ran and stuck to the little piece of clay that I put under it to save the shelf – thankfully!

refires, refiring pottery — Here is an example of what CAN happen! Only one of the six refired bowls did this…unfortunately, it then stuck to the bowl sitting next to it!

Generally, the refire was worth it. On several glazes that were clear, adding another layer of clear and refiring just made it smooth out and look great! Give it a go….you never know!

Fire on!

Marian

Barrel firing, alternative firing, pottery

How To Barrel Fire Your Pottery

Alternative Firing Barrel firing Firing How To's

I love alternative firing of pottery. It’s so alive, visceral, earthy and unpredictable. It’s also such a quick, instant gratification process as compared to a Cone 10 Gas Reduction firing (which I love!), so it’s a nice deversion.

I’ve done a pit fire. I’ve raku’d. And now I’ve barrel-fired – and am totally hooked!

Barrel firing is a bit of a combo of pit and raku in that it is an “alternative firing” method where you are firing to get carbon, natural markings, and using alternative fuels – but no glazing.

I prepared an old fifty-gallon drum by having Ronnie (my fab husband) cut holes in the bottom and sides of the fifty gallon barrel to allow good air flow.

We then set the barrel up on bricks so that there would be air flow from the bottom of the barrel.

I prepared my pots for the barrel fire by adding terra sigillata that was highly burnished before bisquing.

I packed the barrel with long pieces of wood around the edges of the barrel before packing the center with the pots, seaweed, cow manure, copper carbonate and a few other chemicals and combustibles that I had collected.

I’ve burned a lot of trash in my lifetime, so I knew how to get it going and to keep it going. As soon as it caught, I covered it with a piece of tin to drive the fire down into the barrel. But then it seemed that the fire was not burning well enough and needed more oxygen, so I took the tin off and left it off for the duration of the firing.

The fire was started by 10 am and by 6:30pm, it was finished, cooled, and I removed the pots.

The next day I cleaned them up and burnished them again with wax.

I was so lucky…only one pot cracked and I got amazing color. I’m anxious to do another firing!

I’m thinking of doing this as a class, so let me know if you are interested.

Fire it up! and Keep it burning!

Marian

wooden handle on pottery spoon, wabi sabi pottery

Am I Crazy? Copper Red Glazes Versus Simple Oxidation Glazes

Copper Reds

I find it so interesting what the buying public likes!

instagram, marianwilliamspottery, wooden handle on ceramic spoon, recycled clay — This instagram post got more hits in the first day than I usually get. So is it the instagram crowd that drives the market?

I have tried really hard to master high-fire cone 10 reduction glazes, especially copper reds, chuns, and the old Oriental glazes.

Cone 10 Glaze Firing, Copper Reds — 3 Copper Red Glazes + One Blue Glaze.

I’ve also worked really hard to develop a throwing style that is as perfect as I can make.

altered bowl, slip additions, textured stamping,cone 10 reduction glazes — Three cone 10 reduction glazes, slip trailing, altered, carved, stamped bowl.

Here comes the interesting part!

I recently decided to throw a big quantity of reclaimed clay into simple, imperfect functional ware, glazes with a simple white glaze and a clear glaze with some Mason Stains colorants.

This is something that I can do with my eyes shut…no stress, no big design decisions, no crazy glazes combinations that are difficult to control and the firing is faster as I’m not worried about keeping the kiln in reduction.

So when people raved, loved and bought this more simple version of my pottery, I found it both interesting and frustrating!

It’s the market, what’s in style.

But for me, I find the more difficult, harder to achieve pieces more exciting and fun to make! But they don’t sell as well! (sad face).

Copper red and chun glazes — Copper Red and Chun Glazes, Cone 10 Reduction

So, what’s the solution? I don’t know, but I guess I’ll just do both! I can’t have recycled clay unless I make the good stuff! So the cycle of pottery goes.

Let me know what you think!

Keep crazy. Keep potting.

Marian

How To Make A Living From Your Ceramics: Malcolm Greenwood Workshop

Amazing Potters Workshops

Malcolm Greenwood discussing clays and which he prefers - Keane's Master Blend! — Malcolm Greenwood at Gold Coast Potter’s Association

A couple of years ago, I attended a workshop at the Gold Coast Potter’s Association given by Malcolm Greenwood. See that post HERE. It was life-changing…so many great tricks of the trade, ideas, techniques, production pottery procedures….amazing.

After the workshop, Malcolm came out to my studio and was amazed at the size of my workshop and at that moment, we started planning a week-long workshop that would be participatory and targeted at upskilling potters.

Unfortunately, it has taken us a couple of years to actually get it in place, but we have a date!!!

May 1-5, 10-4!!

Mark your calendars!

We are looking forward to seeing you at the workshop!

Wanna See What Came Out Of The Kiln? Cone 10 Reduction and Copper Red Glazes

Cone 10 Firings Copper Reds Firing Glazes Results Videos

I’ve spent alot of time lately in the world of Raku. However, now I am back in the World of Cone 10 Glazes!

I have retried a Greg Daly recipe combo that I tried only once and forgot about. The results are very promising!

Got some great copper reds!

Here is the bowl and the back side of the bowl-BIG drips…not sure I’m happy with that!

Refired two large altered bowls – one did great! The other one…not so much…so it will go back in the kiln…AGAIN!

An unsuccessful refire - it's going back in again! — An unsuccessful refire – it’s going back in again!

Somehow I have reverted to some of my old glazes – a revisit – to see if there is anything I have overlooked or missed. And now I remember why I hadn’t been using them!

Here’s a little cup with a glaze made from the dried glaze cleaned off the spray booth. So it’s a mix of all my glazes! The recipe is not obtainable! Oh well, I kinda like a surprise and love this little cup!

I always learn so much in a firing! Just glazed another kiln load and will fire it up tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Keep Cooking!

Marian

Sometimes Its The Little Things…That Sell!

Creation Hanging wall vases

I’ve noticed that people LOVE to buy! Even if it just some little something!

So I’m making some of those “little” items that I can put a small price on and people can buy a piece of my pottery without spending a fortune (but none of my pottery costs a fortune!).

Here are a couple of process shots of one of those items, a wall hanging pocket vase:

stamps, pottery stamps, texture, pottery

Here is the end result of one of these wall hanging vases.

Raku Workshop!

Firing Raku Workshops

The Raku Workshop held recently at my studio/barn was a great success. We had a great group of ladies, great results and lots of fun!

Maria preparing wood for the wood-fired raku kiln.

Maria stokin' the wood-fired raku kiln. — Maria stokin’ the wood-fired raku kiln. Terese assisting!

Terese pulling a hot pot out of the kiln.

Cathy's pot - hot out of the kiln. — Cathy’s pot – hot out of the kiln.

Cathy's pot before cleaning off the soot. — Cathy’s pot before cleaning off the soot.

Kym's refired pot looked fab! — Kym’s refired pot looked fab!

Lyndall and Terese checking out fired work.

Kirsten's mask still hot and in the reduction bin. — Kirsten’s mask still hot and in the reduction bin.

Lyndall's whale tail. — Lyndall’s whale tail.

Cathy's lovely lustre pot. — Cathy’s lovely lustre pot.

Terese's lovely pieces. — Terese’s lovely pieces.

Looking forward to the next one! Let me know if you are keen to join us next time!

Cheers,

Marian

How To Make A Raku Kiln Out Of An Old Electric Kiln

How To's Kilns Raku Tutorials

I’m doing a Raku Workshop this coming weekend. Pretty exciting, as it is the first one I’ve done at my studio.

I’ve had an old kiln that we bought years ago and, in transport, was damaged past repairability – it’s been just sitting around. So to make sure that everyone gets a lot of firing time in at the workshop, we have converted it into a raku kiln!

Here are some pics of the process:

raku kiln from electric kiln — Here is the old kiln that we used for the conversion to a raku kiln.

Has Social Media Caused ME To Be Competitive And NOT Creative?

Inspiration Musings

Sometimes I think that looking at everyone else’s work on Facebook and Instagram is counter-productive.

I find myself second guessing why I’m making what I’m making, wondering if I should emulate some of the more “successful” potters on Instagram, Facebook, Etsy, etc.

I look at how many “likes”, views and comments I’ve gotten…and then compare those numbers with others.

I feel myself becoming frustrated at goals not achieved that I never really set for myself. I become critical of my work, my postings, my approach.

So when did it become about numbers, money, success. When did I move from just creating for joy and start creating for others?

Well, it’s not a good way to work! I’m going to start making a conscious effort to avoid the constant Facebook perving, the Instagram obsessions, the Periscope stalking and get to work on MY Creativity. To hell with what’s in style…I really don’t care and I really don’t want to feel competitive to every other potter out there.

I want to be happy for each person’s success and their creativity.

Just saying’…I needed to vent.

So now, back to making pots!