Self-limitation

This is a nesting set of mixing bowls. They don't normally fit this way together of course, they are up on kiln posts inside the bowls. They are pretty awesome in most ways except the horrible glaze defect of PIN-HOLING!!!!!! that took them over. They are pin-holed so badly I am surprised you can not see it in this photo. However I love these bowls and so although I don't usually fire something a second time as I usually just throw it in my junk buckets I have decided to try and save these. I filled in all the pinholes with glaze and then re-sprayed them. I couldn't fit them in yesterdays firing however so they will have to wait.

My kiln is still cooling and around 1200 degrees right now. It is agony waiting since this is my last firing before my jury Friday. I don't know if I posted about my last firing, think I did, but I had some really nice pots. The entire last load was my earthy stoneware and this entire load is porcelain. I am pretty excited but also a little nervous.

So about the self-limitation. I have set an exercise for myself. For my next glaze session I have decided to limit myself to only four glazes. I think this is going to teach me a lot about what those glazes will do, and I am hoping by limiting myself, I will actually grow more and be more creative. Sounds like the opposite would be true, but you would be surprised. You gain more focus by removing too many options. I have about twelve glazes in my studio now, too many really but all glazes I liked at one time. I made a list and cut the list down to eight, then six, then four. It was interesting because my final four were always the first four I wrote on all my lists so they must be the ones my instinct is telling me to go with.