The Magna Carter

I Sir Anthony of Aylmer Castle do hereby declare to make peace with Carter Gillies and his band of wood firing and solid fuel rebels. The Magna Carter document dated 1216 in the year of our Lord and otherwise known as the Magna Carta (The Great Charter) will lay to rest our dispute of the royalty of firing. The hierarchy at least in my castle from this day forward will declare wood firing to be the royalty of all firing methods.

Carter being true to my word I fired the same glazes and applications in our latest wood firing as I did previously in gas. I was thrilled with the gas fired results but well hmmm, shuckins’, jeepers, oh my gosh the wood rules the kingdom. There is a depth of surface unparalled in other firing methods.

I think there is another contributing factor other than wood. HARD BRICK! Glaze surfaces were better before the advent of soft brick and now ceramic fibre. Many potters have now taken to down firing which to my mind cancels the money saved by using the advanced technology of ceramic materials( softies and fiber)  Although softies are better insulators it is my believe the hards reflect more heat back on the pots. Our door is mostly soft brick and the pots at the door are rarely as well fired as the the ones one stack back and back into to the depths of the kiln.

Here is a sampling of the work I will be taking to The Potter’s Market in Guelph a week tomorrow. It really came down to this last firing after about 4 months working on this surface. It came with it’s share of heartbreak.  Pressure makes diamonds.

 Many hanks to my amazing crew( The Cactus Lounge Flame Throwers)  for all their dedication and hard work. You rock!!! Consider yourselves for Knighthood.