Buck Naked, t shirt, or fully clothed

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Our next wood firing is a week away and I’ve been thinking about the chaos of glazing day. I have put out over a dozen glazes and watch with horror at some of the combinations and then find myself somewhat surprised with the awesome results.  I have seen people think that the wood kiln will provide all the serendipity and watched their disappointment at a “so what brown” pot. I have gone the gamut with wood firing. I have left the pot buck naked, I put a t-shirt on and left the bottom to get toasted and I have entirely glazed the pots. Last firing I left my Helmer clay body buck naked and it was beautiful. Sometimes if the kiln decides not to kiss the pots I wish I had glazed them. In my fully clothed period I was reacting to the hundreds and hundreds of brown pots I was seeing representing wood fire.  So many ho hum brownies for a few killer pots. I had the brown blues.  So it is a conundrum – clothes, some clothes or cover up all the parts. 

Here are a couple of Cassara's slip cast porcelain vases from the Sheridan wood kiln.  Here is me from Ronnie the Rat's Ratagama. I think bare bones was a good choice.