Kiln Woes

Cone 10 is the magical number--the point at which the stoneware I use vitrifies. Reach cone 10, and a pot becomes dishwasher, microwave, and oven-safe.
After bisque-firing beautifully load after load of leaf pots, I was ready to do some glazing. I did several test tiles, and tried out some stains on a couple of my least favorite pots. I switched on my electric kiln to a medium speed cone 10 cycle. 16 hours later, my kiln puttered along at 2000 degrees for a while before finally giving up and flashing an error signal.
I called a technician at the kiln company who promised to call someone here in Utah to have them come check out the kiln. That was yesterday.
Now I wait.

Favorite Reads-- 2005

500 Teapots

I was introduced to the "500" Lark pottery series this year. So far, I have purchased 500 Teapots and 500 Cups. Both are excellent. There is no text, only captions with the title, artist, dimensions, year, construction process, and occasionally a short statement about the work. The lack of commentary frees the reader to make his or her own interpretations of the work. I love the amazing range of styles and processes represented. It is inspiring to see the many different artist interpretations of one form. Whenever stuck for ideas or craving inspiration, I can pick up one of these books, open at random, and browse through the excellent photos.

Other works in this series include, 500 Cups, 500 Figures in Clay, and ready for pre-order, 500 Pitchers