Tonight I went to class thinking there would be one bowl to trim, and two to glaze since they had been bisque fired on Tuesday. Alas, not quite the case! During the firing, someone's piece exploded, destroying one of my bowls, and blowing out a portion of the bottom in the second one. It is still useable, and I will glaze it on Tuesday, but not saleable. A total of three pieces were ruined totally and my second that was damaged. Sigh.
Those are the chances we take every time we use the kiln, that something is going to not make it out in one piece. There are so many factors that can affect the entire process. It was too wet. A crack formed. An air bubble inside that exploded. The walls were too thick or too thin and broke. A tiny bit of grit that pops or chips off, and leaves a hole in your glaze. A chemical malfunction. The glaze drips, or crawls, or puddles. Pieces fall off. From step one in the creation; all the way to the final opening of the kiln once its been through the glaze fire; there are at least 5 steps; sometimes more; and a piece can be destroyed in any of them. Perhaps that is why the whole thing, from beginning to end, when you finally hold the finished art, is why it is almost magical. Sculptors, ceramists, and potters all know that thrill: of white-knuckle anticipation; right up until the very end...
I got my final bowl trimmed, and along with the two I trimmed the other day, the process goes on. I took the blasted bowl home to sand a bit. I'm going to see how it turns out in the end. If it doesn't make it, oh well. Disappointed, but not undaunted. Its only mud...
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