http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log ancient kiln | 21st century log book Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:54:19 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I received advice from Steve Harrison (link 2, link 3) and Claudia MacPhee, see below for their comments, regarding the short throat kiln I built. Specifically, they gave me some suggestions regarding the smokey lid and honestly, after reading the suggestions I was sort of chagrined at how silly ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/141 For a while now, I have been thinking about building a smaller wood fired kiln -- one which I could fire alone in a short time.  I love firing the anagama, but it requires a large amount of preparation and a large block of time to fire.  It isn't the ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/99 I have received some surprise when I mention that my floor sand melts during firings.  It really does, but it will only become glassy where it is thin enough to spread out on something harder, like the bricks I pointed out in my previous post.  Where the sand is thick, ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/98 I think the 11th firing worked out quite well.  I outlined my firing plan earlier this week, and now, some of the results are available in the photogallery. It was a very hot firing -- cone 11 laid flat front to back (I don't have any higher cones).  However, I think ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/97 Gray junk. Now I don't mind koge and it looks great on certain pieces. I'm not talking about that. I hate how some firings tend to leave a layer of embedded soot on the front of my pieces. The results are decidedly not pleasant and should ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/96 My last post got me thinking I should at least put a couple pictures up from the 10th firing so there is a little continuity here.  I messed up my lighting so the colors are not exactly correct.  I need to just let that go.  That flaw created some kind ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/94 So it's been almost exactly a year since my last post.  In that time, I fired the kiln again.  I took many pictures of the pieces with elaborate lighting.  I hated all the pictures.  It seems so easy to get something about 80% good.  Then I start going into perfectionist ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/92 We've heard from a number of men in the Firing Log podcast series -- we're overdue for a woman's perspective. Davie Reneau of Kentucky provides just that perspective, or at least that of a woman who loves hard physical work and the imprint it leaves on ceramic forms. ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/87 I recently interviewed Gas Kimishima, a native of Japan residing in England. Gas found that after moving to England, he became somewhat homesick for Japan, but that he could find solace in ancient wood fired Japanese pottery. Download the episode directly or through iTunes (mp3, 60:00, 55 mb). Note: The ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/83 A little more than a week ago, I received a shipment of pots from Malcolm Greenwood. When I opened the box, I was delighted to find his distinctive works to be at once wonderful to look at, and a delight to touch. They say a picture is worth a ... http://www.anagama-west.com/firing_log/archives/82