Whoever Said Loading the Kiln Was Not A Challenge!!! Not me...

This morning I loaded the kiln for a bisque fire.  Now, I know that I have some very fragile greenware in this load.  I am doing very little underglaze work on the greenware because of this fact.  However, it is the set-up of the shelves that can be the problem.

After a slight a bump, I knocked one of the vases off the self and it fell into the rabbit mask below breaking the ear beyond repair.  So, the title for this piece is now "Broken Rabbit"!  LOL  I am no  longer upset about the breakage (mask and vase).  However, at the time, perhaps even my neighbors could hear the  #0%*#!$ I yelled!!!

Shelf one, but was later changed...

Newly arranged shelf one...

Yellow vase on top fell on rabbit ear before the orb was on the shelf (thank goodness!)...

Broken rabbit ear...

Top shelf and ready to go!

I really wasn't that fond of the work!

I attended a pottery wheel workshop last spring and the instructor said that every 5th throw should be a failure, otherwise you are not growing!  Well I guess I just had a growth spurt!  While cleaning up, I knocked over my fragile orb and it is beyond repair!
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This week I made a second "rabbit" mask and I intend to make a third.

This morning I stared a "flying pear" wall plaque.  I hope to use this piece (instead of the broken orb) to submit to the light and shadows art show.  It will be multi-media with the addition of some copper wire that will be the part of the piece that will create the shadows.  It looks a little strange at this point.

I am off to a "high tea" at a local lavender farm so I will have to finish the clay work later today or tomorrow.

Fragile, but Fun...

I am currently working on two large pieces that are somewhat fragile, but very fun!  The first is an "orb"  that will hang off of a wall hook.  It is being made for a gallery show themed "light and shadow".  Hard to shoot photos and I am trying to be careful not to break it!!!

The second is a commissioned mask that a friend requested I make.  She is a an animal lover, so this is reflected in the rabbit, raven, bird theme...

Both pieces will are greenware so they are in the very early stages...

UPDATE:  Only 30 minutes after this post, I broke off one of the orb spirals!  LOL