Barbecue Pit Firing

Adam and Eve about to face the fire

My third burn in the garden

I am better understanding how to do it, and using better materials.  The first time I did this I used old test papers from my university students as fuel.  Now I am using pure Iwate charcoal.  And I am starting more slowly, warming the oven in my hori kotatsu for 2 days before burning (Reminding children not to kick it.)  My first burn I had breakage.  this time I did not.

 

I enlarged the holes in the bottom of the can, and I added wood shaving at the top of everything inside the can, and piled bricks on top of it for extra insulation.

 

 

 

The results are better.  Nothing shattered in the burn, and there is a lot less smoke and flames with charcoal to frighten the neighbors. The fire is smoother, hotter too.

 

first opening the can the next day

 results

 

now to clean and maybe do some post fire work

 

Museum in the Mountains

I traveled deep into the hills of northwest Gunma, on a train line I had never been on before.  There is a wonderful little Museum up there, an NPO.  It is in a 5 sided building back in the woods. 

Fair trade goods in the giftshop, kind husband and wife that set the place up.  They have invited me to exhibit my paintings next April.  It sounds like a lot of fun.

Play

 

 

Transiting time after an exhibition, still plenty of teaching schedule, but having fun in between with clay. 

wet clay

Thanks to all that

Thanks to all that made my exhibition such great fun this year.