Thanksgiving and kiln firing. November Juniata Anagama anticipation.

Here we are. Its almost time to unload. Take a look at my photobucket for some loading pictures and a few firing pictures. I am waiting for more documentation from other folks with cameras that were at/participating in the firing. We fired for 5 days (or 4.5 days if you count hours)managing to keep it at cone 10 for about 3 days. That is a far more impressive soak (holding at a particular temperature) than any firing thus far. There was a hick-up around quartz inversion and there was definately damage done to some of the green (raw) pots. Next time we have to be more careful and make sure everyone knows whats going on. Other than that it seems like things went very well. I wont really know till this coming Tuesday I guess.


Been pretty busy overall lately. The weather has been fantastic so I was working outside on the anagama behind my studio. I had a sale at my place too. It went ok. I need to advertise better. Next one I will absolutely advertise on the interwebs.

Working hard. Hardly working.

life is what you make.

What is it? October WHAT already...

Oh how time flies when stuff happens. It feels good during the day and is getting pretty darn cold at night. In between bouts of rain I have been steadily working in the studio and out. Firing and refiring. Bricking and unbricking.



I redid the front firebox area today and changed the grate configuration. I started with an arched grate but it was too tall so I lowered the floor and am planning to span the top of the box with long bricks (hopefully two 13" bricks with a support in the center).

My plan is to continue to work on the kiln until the weather is unbearable.

Summers Eve.

The heat is leaving. I have an internet connection for the moment. I dusted off my Photobucket account and added more images than I could have on this site or my website, now you have them. There is more good stuff there too so check it out. It's super easy so as long as my internet connection stays up I have many more photos to share.

Exciting.

Prototype microgama.

Today, after a long set of circumstances ended up at my studio today.  I decided enough was enough and started building a kiln shape with local bricks from the brick yards that used to be in my town (the streets under the eiffel tower were once paved with bricks from mt. union).  Some of them are silica brick so I'm not expecting much for the firing due to thermal expansion and spalling.
I do however have a healthy supply of bamboo that I have been dying to test out for kiln arch forms.  Super old school Asian trick.  It is super slick.  Expect more.  Requires heathy supply of good sized bamboo.  Good thing that right here in the mountians of Pennsylvania, on the banks of the blue Juniata river.  I have the most wonderful patch of it fit for a mammoth panda bear.  What luck!
This comes from my phone.  The image is with a flash after it got dark. We shall see how it looks via blog.
Cheers.

Daylight is burning.

Well,

Hello there. I was taking a lunch break and saw that my internet connection wasn't just 'local'. So I firgured I should write. Busy, busy. Making pots, moving scrap metal; your normal everyday me stuff. The weather is beautiful but very humid and hot for the time of year here in the mountains. Check out youtube. There are some new videos there. Just got into my first juried exhibition since college! Its at the Carbondale Clay Center in Carbondale, Colorado. Pretty cool.



*i feel like i should just post this as my connection may disappear at any moment.

How cellular phones revolutionized the interwebs.

Still no real solution to my internet connectivity issues.  I have been downloading apps on my phone to try and find one that works with my blogspot.

Early Summer.

My computer and my internet have not been getting along as of late so I have not been able to adequately update this blog and my website, or do any clerical business on the interwebs. That being said there is much that has happened and much that is in the works. We did another wood firing at Juniata College at the beginning of April with success dispite the torrential rains that happened that week. I believe there were some major storms all over. We ended up having to bail-out the front of the kiln. Chaos, per usual. There will be an update on the website for some of the goodies out of that. I started running around and pitched my tent at a little first-time annual pottery festival. "Pots in the Park" was the 20-21st of this month (May). It was to benefit the start up cost for a ceramics center in Oil City Pennsylvania. I don't have too many pictures of that event but I'll try and get them on here as well as firing photos. In the mean time check out my youtube page. My Dad has been messing around with a Windows video program and came up with some little informational videos. They have entertainment value as well! More to be added there too.

http://www.youtube.com/user/drobnock?feature=mhee