"Doubt" in the kiln, ready to be fired.
"Common clay must go through the heat and the fire of the furnace to become porcelain. But once porcelain, it can never become clay again." - Author of quote unknown.
I placed some clay I had formed into the kiln to give it controlled heat. The piece, which I have named "Doubt" is made from porcelain clay. I do not want it to stay in it's present state of dried clay, for it is much to fragile. In it's present state, it needs external props to keep it together. I want it to change into a harder ceramic material. I want it to be less fragile, stronger, more resilient. Something that will not need an extra prop to survive. Something we can all admire for years to come.
Therefore, since it has been proven in the past that if clay is fired to a temperature of 1,830 degrees (cone 06) it will change to the desired ceramic state of which we speak.
When we experience the "heat" of life, which we will, what
happens to us? What happens is we are forced to make decisions about the life we are living and experiencing. So we will change.
What I have realized is that we will remain permanently changed, and we can never go back. We cannot do a replay because we realized later we should have responded differently. We can only go forward. So it becomes so important what decisions we make in the heat of the battle so to speak.
What if we look at the difficult circumstances of life as opportunities to learn and grow? What if we see them as ways to grow us into stronger people? Prepare us for future roles and tasks ahead even? Make us into people that are resilient, strong and capable. With an inner strength we could never have gained in any other way.
I placed some clay I had formed into the kiln to give it controlled heat. The piece, which I have named "Doubt" is made from porcelain clay. I do not want it to stay in it's present state of dried clay, for it is much to fragile. In it's present state, it needs external props to keep it together. I want it to change into a harder ceramic material. I want it to be less fragile, stronger, more resilient. Something that will not need an extra prop to survive. Something we can all admire for years to come.
Therefore, since it has been proven in the past that if clay is fired to a temperature of 1,830 degrees (cone 06) it will change to the desired ceramic state of which we speak.
When we experience the "heat" of life, which we will, what
happens to us? What happens is we are forced to make decisions about the life we are living and experiencing. So we will change.
What I have realized is that we will remain permanently changed, and we can never go back. We cannot do a replay because we realized later we should have responded differently. We can only go forward. So it becomes so important what decisions we make in the heat of the battle so to speak.
What if we look at the difficult circumstances of life as opportunities to learn and grow? What if we see them as ways to grow us into stronger people? Prepare us for future roles and tasks ahead even? Make us into people that are resilient, strong and capable. With an inner strength we could never have gained in any other way.
On the left you see a slot at the top. There is a hammer like metal shape extending out of this slot. The lower hammer part is "hooked" over the lower larger lever that if it falls down will turn the kiln off. This top metal hook holding up the larger lower lever extends into the inner part of the kiln, resting on a cone. This cone is bending with the weight of the metal resting on it as the heat increases in the kiln. As it bends, it swivels the hook up to release the larger one and let it fall, turning off the kiln at the right temperature. This photo was taken at a very exciting moment! You see it has has already moved up and is just at the very top lip of the lower lever, and in another minute or so the heat will bend the cone just enough to cause it to rise the fraction further to release the lower large lever, which will then fall and turn off the kiln. You can see it's almost there...sooooooo close and it's over.
Then we have to wait and see what changes have occurred to my work in the kiln. Will it be good or bad? Will it have exploded or not? We will not find out for another 8 hours or so as we have to wait for the kiln to cool down.
My piece has a future role to play. Will it actually become beautiful strong ceramic stoneware for all to admire?
Then we have to wait and see what changes have occurred to my work in the kiln. Will it be good or bad? Will it have exploded or not? We will not find out for another 8 hours or so as we have to wait for the kiln to cool down.
My piece has a future role to play. Will it actually become beautiful strong ceramic stoneware for all to admire?
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