I’ve had a great week at the studio. I got into a good rhythm and stride and the ideas flowed. I tried to keep balance by doing some yard work and it seemed the ants had it in for me this visit so I was busy, as the pest control guy says, de-populating them. I felt territorial and remorse at the same time. Hopefully they will move out to the great outdoors …. But ants are a whole other blog, I have an interesting theory about ants.

On the 5th day of my stay I was ready for my 1st firing. A bisque firing which prepares the pieces for the glaze firing. I loaded 3 shelves with all sorts of work.
The first shelf, the bottom shelf.

And here’s a close up.

To me it almost looks mathamatical, almost chaotic and organic. Can we do otherwise??
The second shelf. It’s a real jigsaw puzzle. There are so many different sized shaped to fit together.

And lastly, just barely enough room, is the 3rd shelf…. With a note to myself to pack my next firing better.

The firing goes well and the next day after glazing everybody, I did pack the kiln better this time. It was packed to the gills. I had to be extra careful to keep them all separate enough so they wouldn’t glaze together and stick. The firing went well, cause for thanks every time, and as I carefully unpacked all but the elephants, I am left with this. I had staggered them in between the bowls.

I was taken by their natural elephant way of wandering.
But the surprise came when I noticed this. Now Tell me … what really goes on in there during a firing?!!?

2 of the elephants trunks must have moved (dare I say danced?) around slightly in that white hot heat and fused together, touching in the most beautiful way! I picked them up carefully thinking that I must intentionally make some this way next time. As I was examining them, their fragile touch unlocked and they were separate again. Too bad I thought … Their connection was lost, they were two elephants again, not one.
~ Their bond might be lost lost …. But not the idea ~

~ Kiln Harvest ~