Mixed Results

I've fired and unloaded my glaze kiln, and entrusted some of the good stuff to Australia Post to take to Shepparton Gallery for me. I got it close to right firing without the pyrometer, but I probably needed to leave the kiln about one hour/20-30 degrees longer as the lower therefore cooler shelves in the kiln were  bit underfired. They'll need to go in again with my next batch. But the top shelves were good. Photos below.

 Impressed with wild geranium leaves, Ash Celadon glaze.

Violet Leaf bowl, ash glaze, a more open form than my previous ones.

Dark clay with an ash glaze. Plate impressed with strawberry leaves, bowl impressed with grape leaf.

Sometimes it's hard saying goodbye to pieces. Especially when you have to post them off A.S.A.P. after unloading the kiln. I hope whoever buys them loves them at least as much as I do. I'm happy with the delicacy of the wild geranium imprints, and the dark clay ash glazes pieces have a very different "ancient" kind of colouring. The contrast between these and the pale ash glaze is striking. The two glazes have very similar recipes but the pale one uses a white clay and a pale processed feldspar while the dark one uses a high iron (dark) clay and a feldspathic rock dust, also with a high iron content.