Hello Mr. Salty...

I unloaded the salt kiln yesterday and Nancy and I both said it was one of the best firings out of that kiln...hands down. We are in the middle of making and firing and making and firing some more. This coming Friday I am taking our work down to the Sweetwater Center for the Arts in the Sewickley area of Pittsburgh for a one day ceramic sale. Its not a bad deal, you just drop off up to 35 pieces after you have registered it all online and they sell it and you come back Sunday to collect whats left and a little moola hopefully. Nancy also has her red ware sale at the hospital here in Indiana on Friday too. Busy, busy, busy I tell you.

I spent most the rainy afternoon today working out my decal compositions for the group of pieces that I chose to add images too. I will have a good bit of new decal work come Tuesday! I did hold back quite a few nice pieces however. The decision to add the decal is often a no-brainer for me but there are some pieces that I simply cant fire back to 04 in the electric kiln. The glazes are sometimes way too juicy and or the effects from the firing are just not to be screwed with and firing in the electric kiln does change some of these things. So I thought I would just show some images of work from the firing that may or may not be getting a decal. Lets enjoy them now...its not too say that we wont enjoy them even more when they have a decal, but lets just enjoy them as the product of a good salt firing first.

Above is a small olive shaped bud vase from me and a bird house with a serious orange peel roof from Nancy.

This basket piece came out really nice...I'm trying something new with the slips and glazes on several pieces in this firing...so far so good. Even though the glazes are pretty sweet on this piece, this guy may still see a decal. Sometimes the graphic decal can put it right over the top.

And lastly here are a couple images of a couple of new mugs with their elongated handles and also a couple of fancy new batter bowls. Its great to unload a kiln with so many sweet pieces. Nancy fired it this past Thursday while I was teaching my last day before finals(YES!). She has got this kiln down pat...really good reduction, even on top and bottom and 14 pounds of salt...that's the ticket. So be on the look out for some new decal pieces from me popping up on Etsy or if you are in the Pittsburgh area, head on over to Sweetwater on May 8...sounds like its going to be fun.