kiln dread

word of the day:
kiln dread (/kɪl, kɪln dred/) adjective. Describes the fear, apprehension, and extreme reluctance potter's feel before opening their kilns after a glaze firing.
I have my ways of avoiding bad firings. I never load a kiln when I'm tired, in a huge hurry and stressed out, or have been drinking. When I'm programming the kiln, I make sure my attention is 100% focused on what I'm doing. If I have any feelings that a piece is not quite right, I don't load it until I have time to double check it. And I make deals and beg with god. Despite all of this, every once in a while I look at a cooling kiln and I think, "I do not want to know what's in there". One time, I accidentally programmed my kiln to hold at cone 5 for 13 hours instead of 13 minutes. Talk about major kiln dread.

yes, it's magic

perfect firing

I pulled these pots out of the kiln today, and I though they were perfect and lovely. The pieces are all orders going to different stores, and I had to take a picture before they are scattered all over the country. This eggshell glaze is one of my favorites, because it fires out consistently and always looks good. The texture is matte with the tiniest bit of sparkle to it, like a thick vanilla icing. This is what I call a "good boyfriend" glaze: looks great, always there, sweet as can be. And yes, I have my "bad boyfriend" glazes too: inconsistent, temperamental, unreliable. The only reason why I keep them around is because they are so damn good-looking, just like those boys I used to date back in high school... and college too!

this weekend

If you live in the Bay Area, you should come see me at the Contemporary Craft Market show at Fort Mason in San Francisco this weekend. If you go to their website you can download free passes, otherwise you pay the $7 entrance fee.

I will have plenty of those bird bowls, some dogwood bowls, and the cake stands with the little birds too. It's all very springy and pretty. And some lotus bowl sets, one particularly fetching small set in peach, which looks great on a green plate. If I had it together I would have a picture to show you exactly how great, but I've been glazing orders all day and I get totally one-track mind when I glaze. I don't know what it is about glazing, but I don't stop to do anything. I have to make sure I bring food and water to the studio or I don't even eat all day.

I'm really looking forward to the show this weekend because I just found out that my booth neighbor is my good friend Caramia of Hotcakes Design Jewelry. We are both always so busy that the only time we ever get together for dinner or drinks is during the shows in New York. We joke that we spend more time together in New York than we do in California, and it's not a ha-ha joke, because it's true. Knowing that she is my neighbor is a good omen; I'm predicting a giddy weekend with lots of sales flowing back and forth between our booths. And if we're not too exhausted from receiving people's money and admiration all day, we can have a drink at Greens on Saturday to celebrate success.