Two rectangles almost perfect, till I turn it around. Well the glaze on the sprigs could have been better. They were supposed to be a pale green, but I didn't brush enough glaze on them.
Here's the reverse side. This is the piece that dropped it's sprig, which I tried to glaze on before the last firing. I spent a lot of time building this piece. Disappointment and loss, not easy to take.
Looks perfect doesn't it? Just about is, till I turn it around. I purposely placed this piece near the one above in the kiln thinking it wasn't that nice any way. I was experimenting with overlapping glazes. Look how the glaze turned out, amazing to me.
This is the leaning vase from the last firing which unwittingly received the sprig of the other piece. See it on the right side glazed to the bottom. To think I sacrificed this one by putting it near the first piece.
Sometimes it's hard to let go of a piece even though it's not perfect. Not that anything is perfect, but you know what I mean. I haven't gotten around to torching it off yet. When I do that, there's always a rough shard left on the piece. I might have to leave this one as is. I guess these two pieces will be the two that got away. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
It is sad and frustrating when these things happen. I used to try and salvage pieces that went wrong for one reason or another, but I am beginning to think that it is better just to have another go at making something afresh.
ReplyDeleteI was reading Michael Kline's blog one night http://michaelklinepottery.blogspot.com
and was most impressed by a post that he made on April 27, 2010 that was entitled "Do Over", he had put some beautiful large freshly slipped jugs on a ware board, and lost all three of them when the board overbalanced and hit the floor. He was naturally very upset, and took himself out of the workshop for a while to cool down, and later...
"So after supper I decided that there was only one thing to do. Make the pots over." which is what he did.
I was really impressed by that, and the pots he made to replace the ones that got dropped were lovely.
frustrating indeed and well said peter...it really is best to learn what you can and start again..persistent bunch aren't we!! :))
ReplyDeleteI agree that time spent fixing something could be better spent just making a new one sometimes. However, I have been able to get stuck things like that off (happens a lot with Raku firing) use the Dremel to file it down and then dab some glaze on and re fire. I am a big fan of re firing things!
ReplyDeletePeter is probably right and it would be much more efficient time and sanity wise to just start fresh. I would probably be like you and try to salvage.
ReplyDeleteGood luck either way.
Hi Peter, thanks I didn't feel too awful bad because I got some really good other ones in the last three loads so that made up for it, but the first one did take me while to build.
ReplyDeleteHi Ang, thanks, yes persistent or crazy. Ha. I did learn though, next time if I have something iffy that might fall off I will give it plenty of room to fall and put something it can fall on so it doesn't glue itself to shelf. Actually now that I think about it, that's a good thing it didn't, so I should be thanking my lucky stars for that.
Hi Tracey, thanks, yeah I'm going to try and heat it up with a torch and then dremmel it, but they're never the same afterwards. I might put a piece of rusty metal on the one vase cause other than the piece that's missing it's fine.
Hi Patti, thanks, you are probably right, chalk it up to experience.
Probably Peter is right.I know that your project was diferent... But the fisrt piece, for me,looks like metal! I liked the way it is. My Sensei often says that the problem is our expectations.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to like the pieces enough to want to try to save them so go for it. Even if they come out different than expected that could be wonderful too. When life hands you lemons make whiskey sours:-)
ReplyDeleteLinda, we smash em; it is therapeutic and reminds you that if you make em you can break em and make another price; honoring the process that creates magical pots also means the process produces some losers. Joan T
ReplyDeleteHi Acacia, thanks, the glaze is a cone 6 tenmoku which comes out kind of matt; I might out a piece of metal in the missing place. Yes expectation is the problem.
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, thanks, I think I can save the first one, the second I don't think so because a rough places will be left in the glaze. I am just surprised that the glaze came out so well on the second one when I had discounted it in my mind beforehand.
Hi Joan, thanks, actually yesterday I smashed a bunch of pots; I have more to go too. Once I get some good pots it's easier to smash a few.