So I have recently taken a new position at Lillstreet as a Soda Monitor, which basically means I get to fire the soda kiln, work with students loading, help maintain the kiln and necessary accouterments thereof, etc…This is in addition to the First Time Potter class I am teaching Sunday mornings.  I am super fortunate to be receiving a crash course in all things Soda from Emily Murphy of Pottery Blog fame.  As she was firing a kiln of her work, I was able to get some test pieces in so I could learn about loading and firing — specifically about piece placement in regards to the flame and soda path.  Well, the kiln was unloaded last night and I was greeted with some amazing pieces.  Perhaps I got lucky or maybe it was Emily’s expert firing ability; regardless, I am super excited by the results and the possibilities.  Here you go…

I had about 11 bottles and 4 plates in the kiln.  No pics of the bottles just yet — here are the plates.

Black Skull Plate

Black Skull Plate detail

Clay body: White stoneware
Slip: Tile 6 or Thompson’s Flashing wiped through with a stiff vegetable brush.
Glaze: Matte Black over all then wiped off so it remained only in crevasses.
Add’l info: Soda ash solution sprayed liberally over surface with a spray water bottle prior to firing.
Kiln placement: About 6 inches directly below arch in front of kiln nearest to door.

Star Skull Plate 1

Star Skull Plate 1 detail

Clay body: Stoneware with Iron/White stoneware mix
Slip: White porcelain based slip over entire surface wiped through with a stiff vegetable brush, star in cobalt aluminate porcelain slip brushed over, with Tile 6 skull applied last.
Glaze: Temmoku and Amber Celadon hybrid over all then wiped off so it remained only in crevasses.
Add’l info: Soda ash solution sprayed liberally over surface with a spray water bottle prior to firing.
Kiln placement: Middle of the second shelf from floor, approx 12″ high, middle of pack, low soda area.

Star Skull Plate 2 detail

Star Skull Plate 2 detail

Star Skull Plate 2 placement

Clay body: Stoneware with Iron
Slip: White porcelain based slip over entire surface wiped through with a stiff vegetable brush, star in cobalt aluminate porcelain slip brushed over, with Tile 6 skull applied last.
Glaze: Temmoku over all then wiped off so it remained only in crevasses.
Kiln placement: About 6 inches directly below arch in front of kiln nearest to door.  This piece was stood up on edge, leaning against a shelf on the right side of kiln.  As you can see from the above pic, the plate warped a bit in the firing, which was planned for.  While it doesn’t sit flat on a horizontal surface, it is perfect for hanging on a wall.

Splatter Plate

Splatter Plate placement

Clay body: Stoneware with Iron
Slip: Plaster hump mold layered with Mustard Slip applied first with Smooth Orange applied second.  Thrown and stretched plate then laid over mold so the slip was absorbed into the surface.
Glaze: Temmoku over all then wiped off so it remained only in crevasses.
Kiln placement: About 6 inches directly below arch in front of kiln nearest to door.  This piece was stood up on edge, leaning against a shelf on the left side of kiln.  As you can see from the above pic, the plate warped a bit in the firing, which was planned for.  This plate does sit relatively flat as a tripod foot was used instead of a completely round foot.

Plates are new to my throwing repertoire — I’ve only been making them for about a year now.  I generally throw very clean and controlled so these plates provide a looser surface which is well suited for the Soda atmosphere.  They also provide a blank canvas to create more painterly and graphic imagery.  For this particular plate shape, I have to give credit where credit is due — my inspiration comes from Ben Brierley.  While my technique is similar to Ben’s, it is not entirely the same.  As for the imagery, the star and skull come from my interest in graffiti and tattoo culture.  The star, in particular, is created by using only 3 strokes and is used when a fine line cannot be made due to the particular medium in use such as a spray can or a 3 Round Liner.

Graffiti Star c/o Harold Bishop

Dondi tag c/o Jim Prigoff and graffiti.org