Nice Ash

I am very pleased with the new changes I made to my firing this time. I got new color on my oribe pieces and more pronouced ash deposits on my shinos a little farther in. The new wood mix for finishing the kiln left a nice blend on the turquoise, adding a lavender to the mix and creating a little more "abstractness" to the pieces, more for the imagination. Also on the shinos deeper in the kiln, there are some strong ash patterns with the distinct color edges that I like. The glazes are more fluxed by the ash whereas the shinos, with their higher clay content, make the ash sit on top of the surface more if you don't get too hot. Still struggling with my oxblood. I think I would need to firing a diiferent pattern to make them work. I'll settle for the occasional gem when it comes.

I took a little more time with the placements, elevating some pieces so they would get hit with enough ash. I will take more pictures to share. These two show some of what I'm talking about.
And then there is my first clumsy attempt at a "tumble stack" of sorts...with a sawdust clay mix. I like the texture so far, a definate need for more experiments. I want to eventually get into more sculptural pieces, my minor in college. That one throwing class I took got me hooked though.

You can see the sawdust clay mix on the base of this tall bottle and the effects of the ash on the tuquoise and orange-ish shino.