lo-fire masks

[WmDShirley]

This is a mask I made as part of a series I am doing. I burnish the surface with a mix of soapstone powder and wood ash and then make a little brick room in the bonfire pit out back and fill it halfway with woodchips, then the mask, then more woodchips and then a half kiln shelf. I build a bonfire over the thing and fire for about 6 hours. After that I toss a half of a metal barrel over the pile of ash and embers and the next day open it up. Seems to get pretty hot, the ceramic has a nice 'ping' to it.http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Mar-2007/43075-P1010343.JPG

[Artofclays]

WmDShirley,

Sounds a lot like a modified pit firing, but the results look great. Keep on playing with dirt.

Sean

[rosebead]

very nice!

[WmDShirley]

WmDShirley,

Sounds a lot like a modified pit firing, but the results look great. Keep on playing with dirt.

Sean

I also do pit firing but I was working on experimenting with slowly changing the position of the objects in relation to the "hot spot"in the blaze. To do this I had to build a brick box that would protect the clay, sort of like an inside out kiln. I've noticed the bricks now get glowing hot and the woodchips turn to fine ash. It's still a reduction fire, tho, so the clay is grey. I'm planning on further elevating the box so that it's on brick stilts and sits in the center of the bonfire with flames on all six sides. I might toss in a few lo fire cones to see which drop.

[Artofclays]

Good idea with the cones. I know I did one (cone 06) in a trash fire and it melted to nothing in 4 hours.
Try the design you have in coal fire some time. I have done one coal fired piece that came out looking glazed. Use real coal not char-coal. Stinks to hi heaven but the results are great.
Sean

[WmDShirley]

Before I crushed some vertebrae I did some blacksmithing and had to run all over the place finding a source of decent coal. Yeah the sulphur is nasty but I can see where it would do some neat stuff. Sulphur and rutile in clay can produce very interesting patterns and colors. The local Albany Slip ground clay is great for that. Makes new stoneware clay look very old.
I built a small tunnel kiln just big enough for a couple of masks or a small pot and that was a lot of fun to fire. If this latest nerve block works I may try to burn some wood for a few hours. I can get about 3 cords of slab hardwood slats for $60 delivered. They leave a lot of cut off nails in the ash but the heat generated is great! And, it's SPRING!

[Artofclays]

Cool, have fun with the fire and caly. But I get all my oak and iron wood for free down, its great living on a ranch.

Sean

PS this is the masque "Pagan Gods V2.0"

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Mar-2007/95647-100_3109.jpg

[KOP]

what an interesting looking face!