This Month at Green River Pottery: December 2007
Low Water
There were a couple clear, still days around the middle of the month, with the low-angle sun shining brightly, if not with much warmth; one of these found me on the Rio Grande, paddling my kayak. Late-season flows carry little sediment, and the water was a greenish-clear, sparkling, sunbeams reaching into the depths. It was cold! But there is such a peaceful stillness as the river recedes before winter, and the old, worn rocks emerge from the current that usually hides them.
I was feeling good, because the firing of ‘big’ pots (see November 2007 on the archive page) had come out well. Very well. Reducing the kiln earlier, and harder, allowed for beautiful orange Shinos, a toasty brown claybody, and a very even temperature throughout the kiln. The ‘Pot of the Month’ this month, Sundown, is one example, and it represents some of the finest control of glaze application that I have achieved. Like ash glazes, Shino glazes such as the one on this vase, are very sensitive to thickness of application. Where thick, their color is (ideally) more pink-white; where thin, more rust-orange. This sensitivity is what Sundown exploits, with its swooping curve of color from shoulder to foot. By the way, ‘Shino’ refers to a family of glazes that range in color from milky-white to orange. The origin of the term is uncertain, but the first Shino glazes were developed in Japan around 1560-1600. They contained feldspar and local clays from the Mino and Seto areas, and were satiny-white in color—the first white glazes of Japan. American Shino glazes may or may not bear much relation to the original; typically they contain spodumene and soda ash along with the feldspar and clay.
Two days after my peaceful afternoon of kayaking, I was on a plane that took me away from the studio for nine days. Reconnecting to my work has been difficult: I hesitate, I worry, and my touch is indecisive as I take my place once again at the wheel. It’s never possible to pick up exactly where I left off, and while a break in routine can sometimes be rejuvenating, in this case it has simply been an obstacle to overcome. In addition, December’s firing will have a tough act to follow, after the success of November. What will I achieve this month? What new ground will I cover? I remind myself that like the river, the current of my work is always flowing, never repeating itself, never anticipating what is ahead but simply moving into each moment, ready for anything.
This helps, but still I’m nervously hoping to produce a few more good pots before the close of the year!
