Week 16 - The End of My Last Semester at IUS

This past week was a whirlwind, primarily due to Derby. I worked four closing shifts in a row at my main bar followed by my usual Sunday at the other, after doing stuff in the studio almost every day. I’m so exhausted and burnt out physically and socially. I wish I had more energy and motivation for my last final critique at IUS, but I’ve come to accept that it’ll be what it’ll be. I don’t have much new work to show, anyway, due to being out of the studio for a big chunk of the semester, and am most excited to share all my local clay/materials tests.

On Tuesday, I helped out with Empty Bowls all morning — we sold all but 4 bowls and raised $1330 for the IUS food pantry! Woohoo!

I finished my sculpture and covered it in a slip of multiple soil/clay samples from my journey (the two Arizona soils, the non-blue Utah soil, Utah clay, and wood ash).

Currently, I’m firing a soda with a couple refires and small pots, some tests, my new sculpture, and Grace, Emma, and Molly’s work.

Grace did an extraordinary job loading the kiln.

I am planning to do a 3-4 hour long downfire and experiment with spraying half the soda at temperature, then immediately turning off the burners and stoking for half an hour before spraying the rest and continuing the downfire. I’ve never tried this before and am curious if the crash cool and spraying at cooler temps will create some wacky results.

8 itty bitty clay tests in this soda (I was hoping to put the bulk of the tests in the wood kiln, if we are able to fire one before I leave for the summer…), plus random rocks from various wild clays.

My favorite local materials test I’ve done so far - that of course I forgot to label and can only assume what it was.. Classic. I am 80% sure it’s both Utah soils mixed with wood ash.