WYSIWYG, or not?

As the alarm clock rang 5:30am Monday morning I popped right up remembering I could peek at the ^6 load. No reading the newspaper in bed with my sweetie this morning. In my jammies I ran out to the shop and lifted the still warm lid… Truly, I said to myself “if this kiln load is a total disaster let it be big so at least it will make a good Blog post!” Well, no graphic explosion images or total glaze meltdown shots, just some mediocre results. At least my large Pod survived and actually turned out OK. Not FAB,

just OK. I intentionally rubbed off the glaze on the lower leaf areas on my large Pod. The big surprise was my “sure fire” Pods, the ones I’d already used the Galaxy glaze on, appeared this time like the glaze had settled out -Arrrggh! I was trying to have a set of at least 3 matching Pods for a sculpture. These were supposed to be fine because I’d already lovingly TESTED this glaze. In one of the photos the original Galaxy fired Pod is on the left and this latest Pod I'm holding is on the right. What the...?? Another set of Pods I used the Seamist glaze on really looked like the glaze settled out (they are the small ones on the right in the large photo at the top). I could see miniscule spots where if that glaze

had worked as I’d hoped it would, it would have been beautiful, but it was not to be. There could be a lot of explanations for the “settling out” considering that these glazes were purchased blindly used with no dates, instructions or firing details on the buckets. I’ve read about microbes destroying old glazes or freeze/thaw and heat temp issues negatively affecting the necessary “float” of glaze components. Or not(?) Who knows. It’s just that after the first firing using the Galaxy and Antique Iron I did have high hopes, especially considering I mixed the second batch even more slowly and evenly. I set the kiln controller to use a SLOW FIRE ^6 GLAZE schedule, HOLDING for another 25 minutes for good measure. Or not(?) I am learning not to plan a sculpture using my clay components until AFTER they are completed to satisfaction. WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) was a term we used in my graphic design business days of what appeared on your computer screen was not necessarily how the file would be printed at the printers. There were so many digital variables we were forced to check and recheck a file before it was sent off to the client, publisher or printer. I’m learning that even when I’m working with clay that “What You See, (is NOT necessarily) What You Get until after the LAST firing!”

Kristen sent me this picture of her sliding down the ice slide at the World Ice Art Park in Fairbanks! She was wearing her favorite Skhoop Skirt over her snow pants and she said she took off like a rocket! I noticed on the news last night that Fairbanks warmed up to a balmy 25 degrees ABOVE zero yesterday! Spring must be on the way.