Some pieces are particularly fragile, and until they are fired the first time in a bisque load, handling them requires focus and a special (experienced) touch. I look them over and check for nicks, cracks, stuck bits of clay I don't want. Now that they are dry, I can handle them to examine closely for the first time since gently setting them down to dry. There is an occasional snap and my heart skips a beat, but I move on ... another artifact for my collection. I find myself taking irregular breaths as I lower pieces down into the kiln. I am guessing this gives me a steady hand but as my head goes down, tired at the end of a hot (triple digit) day, maybe this is false thinking. Light headed moments are rare actually. Hopefully my brain isn't as cooked as I sometimes think it is. At any rate, another kiln loaded without mishap. Another days work done in Fresno's
July heat. I'm thinking of you Bob Kliss (at the glass furnace) this week! Comments are closed.
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