The major development this week was firing up the raku kiln for my burnout pot. This big boy had been sitting bone dry in my studio for over a month—I kept putting it off, but I finally got it bisqued. I took a bit of a risk and packed the kiln with several pieces. After hearing the first one pop, I decided to unload everything except the large vessel.
The firing itself wasn’t too difficult, but the constant micro-adjustments to the kiln were tedious. I was trying to throw during the day while also babysitting the kiln, and I couldn’t really find a rhythm until the cooldown process began.
I’m really pleased with the texture left behind by the towel. It reads like cloth, and I’m starting to imagine how this could be explored further in other pieces. If I can find the right glaze application to accentuate that material reference, I think it could lead to something really compelling.
