Spiral Studio Kiln Firing Log, PAGE 2.

12/10/05:

Bowl, 8" dia. x 2-1/2" high, $49 sold

Shot glasses, about 2-3/8" in diameter, from 2-5/8 to 3-1/4" tall. The three on the left are $17 each; the two copper red glasses on the right are $22 each. That includes shipping! These are also great for toothpicks, Q-tips, etc.

Dinner plate, 10 x 9-1/4", $80 Sold
This is a remarkable piece. It is common and comparatively easy to grow either round or needle-shaped crystals. The in between shapes -- fans, axe-heads, pinwheels, etc. -- are much more elusive. It is always special when a piece has crystals in these unusual shapes.
In the detail above, note how the twin, big, 2-1/2" diameter crystals are half-round and half needle-shaped starbursts.
There is an interesting collection of fan or bugle-shaped crystals in the upper left photo.
To the left is a detail showing axe-head shaped crystals forming an off-kilter German Cross.
Even the small, immature needle crystals in the picture to the right are interesting, as are the large, crackle-effect crazing patterns.

The description above also applies to these two plates.

Keep in mind that these compositions "form themselves." There is a real Zen component to how the crystals pattern and place themselves. If one were to consciously try, better compositions could not be made.

These pieces really need to be seen to be appreciated.

12/08/05:

all prices include shipping and insurance

Boat-shaped server, 10-1/2 x 6" $40 sold Big, fascinating 2-1/2" crystals with complicated centers. Interesting green halos and small green crystals cascading down from the edge. Lots of micro-crystals and isolated fields of tiny yellow titanium secondary crystals.

LEFT: Dinner plate, 10 x 10-1/4", $85 sold

This stunning plate is a match to the boat-shaped server above, with similar details.

These plates are microwavable and can be placed in a dishwasher. I eat off of my work. I make several complete crystalline-glazed dinnerware sets on request each year.

Sprig vase, 4" dia. x 5-1/2" high, $50 sold

A sprig is an added, applied decoration. This vase has two triangular sprigs, each of which has one impressed depression or dot. There is a horizontal "molding" which has caught some glaze, causing it to deepen and turn amber.

LEFT: Pinch-rim vase with gold band and lip, 3-3/4" dia. x 7" high, $75 sold

Dessert plate, 7-3/4 x 7-3/4", $45. SOLD Click to enlarge.

Carved-rim bowl, 4-1/2" dia., $24. sold

Saucer with gold lustre rim, 5 x 5", $22. Nice pinwheel crystal. sold

Sushi server w/ gold rim, 4-1/2 x 5-1/4", $26. Great crystal variety. sold

Sushi server with gold rim, 4-1/2 x 5-1/4" $25. Rich luscious color. sold

Sushi server, 4-1/2 x 5-1/4", $22. Large 2-1/2" dia. crystal. sold

A collection of rich, lustrous, molybdenum-enhanced crystalline dishes.
The gold-rimmed pieces have beautiful, "struck" colors.

11/30/05: all prices include shipping and insurance

Vase, 3-3/4" dia. x 3-3/4" high, $30 SOLD. Nice interior iridescence and exterior colors from reduced silver nitrate and copper.

Vase, 3-3/4" dia. x 8-1/2" high, $82 sold

Vase with applied gold lustre rim, 3-1/4" dia. x 7-1/4" high, $75 sold
ABOVE: very nice metallic gold and iridescent crystals with some tiger-striping.
RIGHT: subtle but appealing velvet texture with purple iridescence.
These surface effects are hard to photograph; I guarantee satisfaction.

11/29/05:

Bowl, 6" dia., $35. Detail below. SOLD

Saucer, 5 x 5", $22. Very nice fan-shaped crystal composition. SOLD

Sushi server, 4-1/2 x 5-1/4", $24. Large 2-1/2" dia. crystal. SOLD

Those who have been following my recent work know that I have been doing a lot of work using silver nitrate as a colorant, which I then "reduce," yielding a myriad of iridescent and metallic effects.
When left "un-reduced," the silver nitrate acts as a powerful color enhancer. The above cobalt blue pieces have been enriched with silver nitrate. The result is crystals with tremendous depth and shimmer, on backgrounds that are "super-glossy."
This cobalt-blue glaze has been further manipulated by the addition of molybdenum, one of the rare-earth metals. The molybdenum contributes to the silver feather-edges of the crystals.
These effects really need to be seen to be appreciated.

11/10/05: Finally, a few reduced silver nitrate vases:

Ovoid vase with gold lustre rim, 3-3/4" dia. x 2-3/4" high, $45 sold Nice interior and petal-like sculptural crystals.

Above and below: Three reduced silver nitrate vases. It is impossible to fully appreciate these pieces without actually handling them. All three look like they were cast from solid gold. The crystals look like silver mirrors. The backgrounds have metallic, iridescent sheens.
All three vases have real gold lustre rims. Gold in liquid form is brushed on to the rims by hand, then fired-on in a special, low-temperature kiln firing.

Pinch-rim vase, 3-3/4" dia. x 7" high,
with applied gold lustre rim, $85 sold

The inside of the rim is a nice
patina-like copper green.

Ruffle rim vase with applied gold
lustre rim, 3" dia. x 7" high, $75 sold

Nice tiger-striped crystals.

10/29/05: all prices include shipping and insurance

ABOVE & LEFT:
Vase, 4-1/2" dia. x 3-3/4" high, $45 sold
Very nice sculptural, petal-like crystals.

RIGHT:
Carved-rim bowl, 4-1/2" dia., $22 sold

LEFT:
Bowl, 6" dia., $34 sold

Right:
Bowl, 6" dia., $44 sold
Reduced silver nitrate and neodymium. This bowl has a subtle iridescence.

Sushi server, 5-1/4 x 4-1/2", $21 sold

10/28/05:

Vase, 3-1/2" dia. x 3" high, $35. There is a very nice, large purple crystal in the center bottom of the interior. sold

Vase with gold lustre rim, 3-1/2" dia. x 3" high, $35. sold

LEFT: Tray, 7-1/4 x 5-5/8", $32 sold

RIGHT: Copper red shot glass or toothpick holder, 2-1/4" dia. x 2-5/8" high, $22

Vase, 5" dia. x 4" tall, $67 sold

An exceptional tri-colored ovoid vase. The side that is away from the camera in the photograph is blue. To see this vase in its entirety, please go to my

page for detailed images.

10/20/05:

vase, ruffle rim, 3-3/4" dia. x 7", $90 sold

vase pinched rim 4" dia. x 6-3/4" $70 sold

vase 3-1/2" dia. x 7-3/4" high, $78 sold

I am beginning a vase cycle, there will be more to come, soon.

10/16/05: all prices include shipping and insurance

Golden Silver Plate, 10-3/4 x 9-1/4", NFS

Although the glaze is colored with silver, this plate looks like it is cast from pure gold.

Detailed images are on my

page. You MUST take a look!

10/15/05: New, AMAZING silver nitrate crystalline work

saucer, 5 x 5" NFS

boat-shaped server, 10-1/2 x 6" $75

Reduced silver nitrate work. Subtle yet rich golden browns and yellows. Deep matte backgrounds contrasting with shiny metallic crystals. Purple and rainbow iridescence.

Wavy-rim silver platter, 10 x 13", $175 sold

The best silver piece that I have produced to date. Once again, the silver surface absolutely defies being photographed.

Detailed images are on my

page. Well worth taking a look.

10/04/05:

vase, 4-1/2" high, $32 sold

vase, 5" high, $36 sold

Two bright red copper reduction vases.

09/29/05: all prices include shipping and insurance

Boat-shaped server, 10-1/2 x 6 x 1-1/4" high, $75 sold

More absolutely incredible, impossible to photograph, reduction silver nitrate pieces.

Far left: Boat shape with reduced copper red rim.

Left: Boat, detail.

Salad Plate, 7-3/4 x 7-1/4", $50 sold

This is silver nitrate in its normal, oxidized state. A stunning piece.

Click to enlarge.

09/22/05: reduced copper red and silver nitrate pieces:

saucer, 4-3/4 x 4-3/4", $35 sold

Just an incredible piece. I guarantee that who ever owns this piece will be amazed by it.

The surface is pure, metallic silver. Photographing it is like trying to photograph a mirror, and it is impossible to capture the beauty.

click to enlarge.

Bowl, 6"dia., $48 sold

The bowl on the left has an almost identical look as the above saucer. The enlarged saucer photos will give you a good feel for this superb bowl.

The bowl on the right is quite amazing. It is covered inside and out with a rainbow iridescence that the camera failed to register. And, it has amazing areas of lime green! The color is very accurate in the two detail photos below, except for the missing iridescence.

7" bowl, outside

The vase to the right has a purple-rainbow iridescence. I was able to just capture a bit of it in the center light reflection.

vase, 2-1/2" dia. x 5", $36 sold

vase, 3"dia. x 2-3/4", $26 sold

tray, 5-1/2 x 5-3/4", $30 sold

Copper red reduction.

The surface of the near left piece appears highly polished with a metallic iridescence.

vase, 5" dia. x 4-1/2", $78 sold

Highly polished metallic surface.

09/19/05: all prices include shipping and insurance

vase, 3-1/2" dia. x 2-1/2", $37 sold

Another very successful copper red reduction vase. The piece has a mirror-like metallic sheen that is impossible to capture with a camera.

bowl, 6" dia., $50
sold

One of the most remarkable pieces I have ever made. Reduced silver nitrate. The crystals look like pure silver. Impossible to adequately capture photographically.

saucer, 4-3/4 x 5", $30 sold

5-lobe bowl, 4-3/4" dia., $30 sold

If you've been waiting for some special silver nitrate pieces, these are the ones. They are the nicest ones I've made to date. Trust me, the pictures don't begin to capture the beauty of these pieces.

Both of these pieces have been fired three times

09/13/05: okay, I just had a really good firing...

Ovoid vase, 3-1/4" dia. x 2-3/4" high, $37. sold

Ovoid vase, 3" dia. x 3" high, $37. sold
The above two vases are small, but very nice. They are copper red reduction vases. After the initial high temperature firing they were copper green colored. They were then re-fired to a low temperature in an oxygen starved atmosphere, which changed the green to red. I wish that I had taken pre- reduction images for comparison. The color change was quite dramatic on these vases.
It's been about six months since I did a reduction firing. At that time, I wasn't getting very good results. I think I may have finally figured out how to get the results that I want. Everything in this firing came out quite spectacular. Unfortunately, most of the pieces in the kiln had defects, and had been set aside specifically for test-firing purposes.
Below is the one other finished, non-test piece that I got from this firing.
You will note that each of these three copper-red reduction vases is dated 2004. That is when they were thrown and initially high-fired.

Pinch rim vase, 5-1/4" dia. x 4" high, $70 sold. Most of the test pieces in this firing were work that I had done using silver nitrate as a colorant. Every one was very successful. I got incredible metallic effects, depending on the amount of silver in the pieces. On some pieces, such as the bowl below, the silver reduced to a pure metallic surface layer. The piece is mirror-like, and has the appearance of pure silver. It is impossible to capture photographically, but I tried in the following picture:

silver-nitrate colored bowl, 6: dia., NFS

The outside of this bowl had considerably less silver nitrate in it, and therefore looks entirely different, as the image below shows. Again, it is impossible to accurately depict the surface quality photographically. The outside looks like metallic gold, rather than silver. It has a lustrous, velvety sheen, and luminescent rainbow qualities. It looks almost exactly like Tiffany Favrille glass.

09/02/05: all prices include shipping and insurance

bowl, 6" dia., $34 sold

dinner plate, 9 x 10", $68 sold

This plate is a beautiful golden-yellow color. It has two types of secondary crystals, which can be seen in the detail photo: bright yellow needles, and dark yellow dots.

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