Getting to the bottom of things | First Bourry Box Firing

This is the signed base of a tall figurative piece 'Grace' - taken whilst still leather hard so you can see the nice groggy and light colour of the clay I have been using for some of my larger work.
As a contrast to my usual work, I have also been using China Clay porcelain and also Royal Copenhagen - beautiful to work with and hoping for the best results in wood-firing!


Over the past two weeks we have spent time preparing wood for the 'Woodfiring Marathon' and also making some test pieces in clay which is specific for woodfiring - from Markus Bohm, based in Germany.

Love stoking the kiln - it also calls for the yummy 'midnight melts' (chocolate on a stick)!

After packing the Bourry Box kiln with Priscilla Mouritzen, I took the honour of lighting the kiln and doing the first shift - midnight until 3.30am. The Bourry Box, affectionately known as the 'Skaelskor Express', was a little disagreeable towards the end of the firing but we happily reached 1300 degrees after 25 hours.

Priscilla stoking the kiln under a special Danish sky (no this is not photo-shop!)

The results were impressive and particularly with the work I had closer to the fire box. The splendour of the porcelain tests confirmed why I need to continue some more work in the Royal Copenhagen clay.


As you can see above where we have just taken the lid off the Bourry Box, we had lots of small work in the kiln and below how there was obviously a good flow of ash from the lovely Danish pine wood. One of my works decided to 'kiss' Priscilla's round thrown forms!

I also had work in the first August Soda Firing which I was pleased with - below you can see us introducing soda to the kiln, in the much-loved Gail Nichols style!


More pictures of soda fired work to come - once we have unpacked the second firing tomorrow.