Off the Porch and Growling

Let me start off by saying, I had a very bad day trimming today - basically everything I threw this last weekend I basically destroyed - uh huh ... it was that kinda day and yet it was a great day from several aspects.

I threw three french butter keepers, a planter and another pitcher (it's become a moral imperative) and most importantly the Pig Pot arrived safe and sound from the Kiln, it also pours fairly well. A bit wide of course and it does dribble but what the hell its functional after all.

As you can see from the head on view, the copper carbonate gave a nice greenish tinge, awesome to behold when it works right. I used red iron oxide and soda ash as always although this time I put the red-iron oxide on heavy, let it dry and then wiped off to create the hi - lo areas. I also used Ellen's Blue as a liner. I think in this particular instance it gave a very nice depth to the nostrils.

I like how the eyes turned out, I didn't wash them out like I did the rest of the pot, I added a couple of coats of copper carbonate to add more depth, and also added a little too the bottom lip. Made sure there was very little red iron oxide on the tusks.


The three views here, head on, left side, right side show how everything kinda just came together. The texture for hair was added using a thickened slip and a stiff bristled brush to add the lines. It may not be hair but ot provides a nice illusion of it.

Very Cool.

Breathe in, hold it ...aaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh !!!!!

Supercali - fricking - nasty word - fragilistic gods damned - expiali - freaking - docious!

There I had to say it, cleanly and get out everything I needed to say. This last weekend I had placed two pots into the hands of the kiln goddess, and I had hoped for kiln gifts, much loved and desired. Ah hell, such is the fate of men. Apparently my pot (my emphasis) exploded, yes I said EXPLODED! Needless to say I was abit non-plussed ... this had been a brand new bag of clay, even if I did refer to it as craptastic ape poop in a previous post and it was not reclaim or even hand wedged clay.

knock, knock --hello McFly. 


I couldn't even stay to see the pig pot come from the kiln. I was so angry and so disappointed and generally just twisted around the axle I didn't take picture one. I will when I go back Saturday and I will try to get an angle so one can see what the pot should have looked like and then I'll post all the ugliness. The upper left picture is what it should have looked like.

.... So and so, I fumed all the way home weee weee freaking weee.

Logging onto the web after attempting to become human by taking a hot shower, I went directly to the manufacturers website; and I quote "Our accurately formulated, completely mixed, pugged and de-aired MOIST clay bodies are packaged in plastic bags, two 25-lb. bags per carton." end quote.



I suppose, somehow when I was blinded by evil clay gremlins who then waved in the terrible bogarts who injected air into my pot while cackling madly. Uh huh, not bloody likely. Unfortunately as sometimes happens I got a bad bag of clay.


Here's asking the Kiln Goddess to please spare my pig pot.    
Be kind lady of the Kiln I beg you.
The heart can't take it.

** Note ** (8/4/2012)  :: As you can see, it looks terrible where you can see the closeups of whatever nastiness occurred. I don't suppose I will ever know why, it just suprises me since I would have expected air in the "body" of the pot, not the handle, especially when the handle was a cut one piece affair lightly pulled.