Got any theories as to why?

I’m going to assume prices was meant to be pieces here

before, if something broke in the bisque kiln (which is where things tend to explode), I would typically throw it away and not post much about it. however I’ve gotten a lot of comments from people saying they would want the piece even broken, so now I’m more likely to finish the piece and put it back together with kintsugi.

but this last firing had a fair number of breaks for a few reasons

1. it had a lot of larger sculptures and those can retain moisture more than a plate or mug if they’re thicker in places

2. I have no control over the kiln temperature or speed of the firing. I think I’d have less issues with a slower firing, but there’s not much I can do. 🫠 the kilns at the studio are constantly firing with very little time in between firings

3. the few things that did explode in my most recent bisque firing managed to break some of the pieces closest to them with shrapnel

this piece, for example

had another sculpture tucked in against it, with its head basically right under the wolf’s chin. so when the other piece exploded, the force of it hitting the wolf under the chin popped the wolf’s head off

and sometimes these things just happen. kilns are temperamental. I was recently told about a friend of a friend’s firing, where her personal kiln failed mid-firing and she lost most of those pieces to glaze flaws. 😬 it’s every potter’s nightmare (and much worse for the pieces that need to be food safe)

If you need a handsome fella to repair your kiln, you know who to call 🔥

▶️Watch the full Crowd Control episode on @dropoutdottv:

Kilns for brick-making. I saw a lot of these all over Madagascar.