Perfect time for another barrel firing - Part 3

...or two days later !!!

It actually took 24h for the embers to turn completely cold. Which means a very slow cooling period, allowing plenty of time for the colors to evolve before the final colors settle. For a 50-gal drum that's considerable. It must have been the wood. Go oak !
Of course, waiting for two days was excrutiating. One day is hard enough, but two raise the anxiety level a few notches."Are my pots intact?" "Did I get good colors?" "Did I get ANY colors?" After spending countless hours making, trimming, burnishing, prepping the pots, they become a piece of you, and the separation anxiety is simply killing you. You just want to be reunited so that you can spoil them with even more care and attention.
And so, on day 3, Nancy and I drove back to Rose's with mounting anticipation. Once there I practically dove into the barrels, picking out the pots gingerly for any signs of flaws. What a fool ! It was a perfect firing. I could already tell, under the layers of ashes, that the pots had wonderful colors. A quick rinse with water and a soft brush confirmed it. After drying the pots in the sun for an hour, we proceeded with a final waxing session, with a big smile on our faces. For a job well done.

Surprises in barrel #1

Surprises in barrel #2

Ashes all washed away

Final touch with love from Rose

Nancy loved her pieces

 And here my pieces, waxed up and ready for their close-up.

11"x6" Vase
copper sulfate, copper carbonate, red iron oxide,
salt, miracle gro

11"x6" Vase
copper sulfate, copper carbonate, red iron oxide
salt, seaweed

11"x3" Squared Vase
copper sulfate, copper carbonate, red iron oxide,
salt, copper mesh

7"x6" Vase
aluminum saggar, copper sulfate, ferric chloride, salt,
sugar, corn grits, wild rice, raffia