I'm a full time chemist/part time potter/one armed paper hanger. Starting in January I will swap that around and be a part time chemist/full time potter.
I feel so damn lucky to have this opportunity. My work place is very accommodating to this arrangement- I will work 60% and still receive benefits.
Of course the real reason I feel so lucky is that my amazing wife has been really supportive about it. She's as excited as I am, and has been actively helping me plan and organize the transition. 60% of my current salary is still not so bad, and my wife does well, so again- I am fortunate to be able to do this without too much stress (knock on wood).
I thought I would share this here where I have so many virtual (and real) friends that have been supportive- buying pots (including weird stuff, like mini skulls- you know who you are), giving great feedback, and even high-risk product testing (Thanks Jags).
Here's a cockroach cone pack- those white things were standing straight up before the firing. They melt at different heat-work (like temperature) and I can look into the kiln and tell where I am in the firing based on which ones are melted. I've started making sculptures out of them. Since there's a lot of superstition, stress, mysticism around firing wood kilns (including making sacrifices of booze- usually sake, to a "kiln god")- a cone pack that's successfully melted must be good luck.
(broken image removed)
I feel so damn lucky to have this opportunity. My work place is very accommodating to this arrangement- I will work 60% and still receive benefits.
Of course the real reason I feel so lucky is that my amazing wife has been really supportive about it. She's as excited as I am, and has been actively helping me plan and organize the transition. 60% of my current salary is still not so bad, and my wife does well, so again- I am fortunate to be able to do this without too much stress (knock on wood).
I thought I would share this here where I have so many virtual (and real) friends that have been supportive- buying pots (including weird stuff, like mini skulls- you know who you are), giving great feedback, and even high-risk product testing (Thanks Jags).
Here's a cockroach cone pack- those white things were standing straight up before the firing. They melt at different heat-work (like temperature) and I can look into the kiln and tell where I am in the firing based on which ones are melted. I've started making sculptures out of them. Since there's a lot of superstition, stress, mysticism around firing wood kilns (including making sacrifices of booze- usually sake, to a "kiln god")- a cone pack that's successfully melted must be good luck.
(broken image removed)
Weird, right?
