Glaze Test on Speckled Buff Clay

Playing with some Laguna Speckled Buff Clay.

I fired some testers of commercial glazes (Amaco and Coyote). Electric to ^5.5 with a medium slow cool.

Here are a few for reference.   

Lustrous Jade - Albany Slip

Ancient Copper - Blue Rutile

Ancient Copper

Albany Slip - Textured Turquoise

Blue Rutile

Blue Rutile - Lustrous Jade

Light Green Shino

Indigo Float - Light Shino

Light Blue Shino

Light Sepia - Smoky Melot

Light Sepia

Lustrous Jade - Albany Slip

Oatmeal - Iron Luster

Lustrous Jade - Albany Slip

Emotional Attachment to a Favorite Mug is a Thing

Broken mug, broken heart

Over the years, I’ve received messages from people asking if I could make a replacement for a beloved mug that had been broken. It turns out it’s not at all uncommon for someone to feel a personal, emotional attachment to a favorite mug. I always understood that in theory—but today, I felt it first-hand.

This morning, John accidentally dropped and shattered my favorite mug. I heard the crash, and sure enough, there it was on the floor in pieces. I think he felt worse than I did; he knew that mug was special to me.

I made it during a difficult time in my life, and creating the design helped me work through some feelings. Somehow, using that mug brought me comfort. When it broke, I missed it a lot. It may sound a little silly, but now I completely understand the attachment to a favorite mug. It’s real.

People often ask whether a replacement mug can truly take the place of the original. From the stories I’ve heard over the years, the answer is yes. There’s always an understanding that the new mug won’t be exactly the same—but it will carry its own one-of-a-kind personality, its own quiet kind of comfort.

Can a replacement mug take the place of the original?    From the feedback that I've received, the answer is yes. There's always the understanding that the new mug won't be the same as the original. It will have its own quiet kind of comfort.

So please, use your mugs. Enjoy them. Let them be part of your daily rituals. If your favorite ever breaks, don’t feel bad for too long. There’s always another mug waiting to become your next favorite—and you can always find one in my Etsy shop.

Love to all,

Cindy

DirtKicker Pottery

Lowering my Pottery Wheel

10 years ago I raised my pottery wheel for the health of my back.  Standing while throwing was awesome until my feet started having problems.

Years of standing in place for hours at a time took a toll on my high arched feet.  

Today my hero husband John cut 7" off the leg extensions on my Shimpo Whisper Wheel.   I'm no longer standing at the wheel, but I'm not sitting low either.

The height of the wheel is now 29".  My adjustable tall chair allows my legs to be just slightly bent and feet flat on the floor.   I'm being mindful to keep my back straight and not slouch over the wheel when throwing.

This new set-up feels healthier.   I honestly don't believe there is a perfect ergonomic throwing position for any potter.  Throwing standing, sitting or leaning will take a toll on your body over the years.  I guess it's the price we pay for doing what we love.    

Just a bit of advice.   If you're standing at the wheel and your feet are hurting, don't delay changing your setup.   Feet problems are no fun.

Cindy Gilliland, DirtKicker Pottery

Mother's Day is just a couple days away.   My baby girl sent me 50 hot pink roses today. They are just too beautiful not to share.

Love to all!

Cindy

Making slip for slip trailing on pottery

I've always loved adding slip trail details to my pottery.  I love the texture on the finished pots.    This is how I make my slip.  

Supplies:  

* Clay (I use the same clay body, that I use for making pots)

* A mixing cup or bowl

* Distilled water

* Immersion blender

I shred moist clay 

(helps with dust control

let it dry out completely

Put about 1 cup of distilled water in a mixing cup, then slowly add dry shredded clay until the clay stops absorbing water and a layer of dry clay accumulate above the water line.  Let the clay and water sit for 20 minutes.

Mix with the immersion blender until nice soft peaks happen.  

Store in a wide mouth air-tight container.

squeeze the air out of the slip trail bottle and submerge opening into slip to fill.

Now you're ready to rock the slip trailing.

Some of my recent slip trail work.

Hope you all are doing well!   

Love to all,

Cindy

Love Coffee and Pottery?

I've been trying several different techniques for making Pour-over coffee makers.   I'm kind of obsessed with them at the moment.

This style I trim the drip catcher

This style, I trim and then throw a drip catcher

©cindygilliland2018

Firing an Empty Kiln vs. Firing a Full Kiln / Kiln Tune-UP

My electric kiln is 10 years old and the thermocouples had never been replaced.  Last year I started making thermocouple adjustments to account for drift. So, when my elements wore-out I figured it was time for a little tune-up.

Cone results PRIOR to tune-up.

Kind of wack-a-do.

John and I replaced the elements, thermocouples, relays and 2 power terminals that had crumbled.   I ran an ^04 slow bisque to burn-in the elements.  Then I ran an empty ^5.5 slow glaze test-fire to confirm that the kiln was firing in the ballpark of my target temp.  

Cone results for ^5.5 Glaze test-fire 

of EMPTY kiln after tune-up.  

The Empty test-fire was a little warm, but still in the ballpark of ^5.5. 

Next, I fired a ^5.5 slow glaze test-fire loaded with pottery.

Cone results for ^5.5 Glaze test fire 

of FULLY LOADED kiln after tune-up.

The load fired on the hot side of ^5.5.  I'm going to make thermocouple adjustments to slightly cool all 3 sections.  Next glaze fire should be perfecto.

If you have ever asked the question.. Does an empty kiln fire hotter or cooler than a fully loaded kiln?   According to my testing, the results were very similar.

I probably should have titled this post "Tales of a Witness Cone Nerd".

Magic Water Rocks My World

Magic water is my favorite joining agent for clay attachments.

  

great for handle attachments

"Magic Water" 1 quart recipe 

- 1 quart distilled water

- 2 + 1/4 tsp liquid sodium silicate

- 3/8 (1/4 + 1/8) tsp soda ash

Mix all ingredients in a quart size jar (I use an old Ovaltine container).  Then shake it up!

For my work, magic water and slow drying are the perfect combo for successful attachments.  I use primarily porcelain and smooth stoneware clay.

©cindygilliland2016.