After Christmas I have been struggling to find enough time to spend at the studio. My space is slightly chaotic. For a few months there has been more than the usual amount of us constantly using the space,it is full with things. In any case I am slowly starting to build up stock again. Plates are a major concern for me now so much that I am not even bothering lately to throw many bowls.
My plan now is to throw a good amount of them, but only biscuit fire, so they are ready for the glaze firing, just waiting for the chosen glaze. I want to add more colors this year, and to improve shapes and glaze application. Most of the problems I have been experiencing with glazing are due to the the kilns over firing more than 40 degrees. It is not clear to me yet, even if i am using cones, if this is a regular thing and if it happens at all temperatures. At 1000C they under-fire and the temperature varies, is uneven inside the kiln. We have had the technicians coming around many keep doing times but the kilns keep doing the same.
I have been considering to became a technician myself.
The other thing I have been doing is getting some of my drawings into clay. They are similar to engravings, and I do not always get an amazing result out of the process. I need to make more and work more on them. These are some of the first results with just one firing. As usual i need to find a way of presenting them, of framing them in an attractive way.
In February I took part in one of those Art Shows, this time was Parallax at Chelsea Town Hall. I do not like how the Art market works but i have to exhibit my work, not for me but for the work. I feel i have some sort of duty towards it, I created it so I should give it the chance to be seen.
The space was crowded with people and artworks, I could not help but to feel on the way and an incredible urge to escape took me over. I need to learn how to deal with this situations and how to have fun in this events. Something i enjoyed was the short conversations with some of the other artists and public attending. There were some lovely and interesting people there. Shame the space was so reduced that we could not properly engage, we had to keep moving so to allow people to circulate and to look at the works.
My plan now is to throw a good amount of them, but only biscuit fire, so they are ready for the glaze firing, just waiting for the chosen glaze. I want to add more colors this year, and to improve shapes and glaze application. Most of the problems I have been experiencing with glazing are due to the the kilns over firing more than 40 degrees. It is not clear to me yet, even if i am using cones, if this is a regular thing and if it happens at all temperatures. At 1000C they under-fire and the temperature varies, is uneven inside the kiln. We have had the technicians coming around many keep doing times but the kilns keep doing the same.
I have been considering to became a technician myself.
The other thing I have been doing is getting some of my drawings into clay. They are similar to engravings, and I do not always get an amazing result out of the process. I need to make more and work more on them. These are some of the first results with just one firing. As usual i need to find a way of presenting them, of framing them in an attractive way. 
