Exciting opening!

We unpacked the kiln on Friday and what a day of revelations. I had peeked through the door late Wednesday and unbricked on Thursday removing some of the denser pack of mugs at the front of the kiln to save time. We knew that time was at a premium on Friday as Steve was coming from Norfolk and Lisa coming up from London and nobody wanted to get caught in the heavy snow which was forcast. There was a lot of great work which came out. The damper in the chimney had definitly worked with some great body colour. A little bit of oxidation at the front which we put down to the height above the fire box and plan to pack tight up to the edge of the fire box for the next firing as well as tumble stacking to side stoke on. We had a bit of melon skinning on some of the glazed and unglazed surfaces spread around the kiln and usually localised to one small part of a pot; on the same pot there could also be very fluid areas so more research needs to take place to try and determine at what stage of the firing this happens. I have my own theories. Below are some images of the unpacking.

and some of my work which came out :-))

I will be showing at Ceramics in Charnwood in May. Earth and Fire at Rufford Country Park in June and Art in Clay at Hatfield in July. But more about those closer to the time :-)