Ceramics for Christmas

For christmas my mom purchased a kiln for me.  She found it at an estate sale and talked to me about it, but once I didn't hear anything else I figured she didn't go to the estate sale.  It was out in Rancho, it made sense.  But she did get it and that was quite the Christmas surprise.  I would have tried it out before now, but I've been sick since Christmas.

So basically I've run  my test batch a bisque.  I stuck some green ware sculptures into the kiln and have been firing it for 6 hours about.  The auto timer is running.  This will tell me if the auto timer works, because I'm currently missing a small but important part of the kiln that turns off the kiln automatically after the combination of the right amount of time and temperature as occurred.

I'm flying blind here.  I've never fired anything.  But this little kiln is supposed to be pretty easy.  We shall see!!

I used 06 cone, 04 cone, and 03 cone.  My hope is that I would be able to reach 04 cone which is from what I can tell, the recommended heat for a bisque.   How ever the plate on the side of my kiln is troubling.  It claims that max temp for the kiln is about 1200 F.  Which is acually pretty low..  around 018 low.  But that same plaque claims the kiln can reach Cone 02.

I'm running a test batch.  I don't even know if 6 hours of baking and the appropriate amount of time cooling is right, but at least I had some cones in there.  Maybe something will have happened.  I do wish I'd put some of the lower cones into the kiln so I could see that it at least went up past those cones.  would have been helpful.  Since I only used the higher cones (03-06) they may not be bent at all.

TEST!!

I'm hoping to bring it with me to the apartment, but I'm not sure that the apartments electrical system can handle it.  Perhaps I should purchase a fire extinguisher. 

Sightings

A short trip around my home town today revealed some fun sightings.  The world is a greatly colorful place. Makes it doubly fun to play with the photo editing apps on my phone.

 

 Its no longer common to see a blacksmith anywhere.  At one point I'm sure that it was a much more called upon position.  But thanks to modern technology it seems as if the career has died out.   So I was completely shocked today to see an anvil attached to the back of a work truck.  It's an awesome sighting. 

 

  I'm very fond of Stater Brothers.  They've got some great prices, solid produce and wonderful meat selection.  And in this picture the meat is extra amazing as you can see from the energy rays shooting out of their meaty beings.  It just calls you in saying "Buy me, eat me!"  Sometimes I wonder if I should have been a butcher... perhaps I have missed my calling.

Also on tap for the day was picking up a piece I had placed in the Riverside Art Museum's annual Off the Wall showing. 

This year it appeared that there were an unfortunate number of still there in the end, meaning there weren't as many sales as last year. Effect of the down economy?  Caused by the changed pricing system? Most likely.  Low Quality, I doubt it.  There were lots of peices that I found I really liked.  Some day I'll have purchasing power and will support the local artists and the Riverside Art Museum.

My piece was placed inside one of the normal wall display areas.  This was both a good feeling and a bad one.  On one side, it was cool to see my piece on display the way a normal show piece might be displayed.  As if it was part of a long term show. 

I was unhappy with it though because I prefer that sculptures be placed out in the open so they can be viewed from all sides.  Since I'd made then baby Stone Gollumn out of clay and painted it on all sides It really was mean to be out on a table or a pedestal.   Yet it wasn't, and it didn't get sold.  I was hoping to have sold a peice yet again, as I had sold one last year.  Perhaps I'll be more lucky next year. 

That Wonderful First

About ME
I'm a California girl and have spent majority of my life living in the fine town of Riverside.  I am a driven, energetic, positive individual. I live my life with the understanding that goodness is a by product of positive actions and thoughts. This leads me to continually attempt to cultivate a positive and effective manner in my life.

Education
I graduated from Chapman University in Orange, California with my Bachelors Degree in Theatrical Studies. My time there was priceless to me.  I studied everything I could, from Theatre to Anthropology, Psychology to Food Science, and even the Ancient Greek Language. I am currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy.

Aspirations
It is my greatest hope to lead a life that I can be proud of. I want nothing more than to look back, see the choices I made, and know that they were the right ones no matter where I end up. I believe that the journey is just as important as getting to the destination.

That being said, I am currently juggle my education with my art hobbies through acting, puppetry, and video creation.  Crafting and Ceramics will always have a spot in my heart. I enjoy sewing, crochet, and anything involving clay. I have found working with my hands to be the most challenging and enjoyable work that I could hope for.