Wood Fired Ceramics by Bill Perrine (Split-Fire Pottery)

[T-session]

Thank you so much Brandon!!! I think it is so cool what can be done on the internet with links, blogs, threads, posts... uploading....deleting... emails... ok, ok, ok... yes I am showing off all the internet words I've learned in recent times. I still a beginner on computers, maybe an almost intermediate. Oh yeah... URL's !!! that was a big one... But seriously... Thank you ! All of you too. Not bad for a grandpa !! Oh, one more thing, being that I'm not a sophisticated tea drinker like you all, I think I make tea bowls too big!? I just was thinking, like Brandon said in the video, fill 'er up and walk around the house with it... that's my mentality. I forgot about the ceremonies you guys do.
Gotta go play pitch with my wife's crew.
Cheers, Bill

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I really like the size of the tea bowl that I have from you. It fits all the tea from my 10oz pot perfectly and is a great size for when I want a bigger cup of tea. If I want a smaller cup of tea, then I use my 4 or 5oz cups. I wouldn't make all your cups smaller, as some of us just like a big cup of tea, but maybe a larger variation in sizes to include a few smaller ones might work.

[Aphroditea]

First off - you play pitch?! My folks used to play when I was younger, but now there aren't any others they know who play. You don't happen to also play Hit Your Neighbor, do you?

Second, in regards to cup size, I have everything from 1oz cups to a giant 15oz mug. It depends on what I am doing or what I am drinking. When I have the time and my boys (husband and son) aren't around I will gong fu tea and use my 1oz or 2 oz cups. At a meal or as a small break I will use my 3 or 4 oz yunomi and have several little servings. But, when I am homeschooling my child or I am knee-deep in gradschool work or I want to sit outside and watch the kid and dog play then I load up a mug, 6oz or 15oz.

So, the short is answer is that there is pretty big range of cup sizes (and shapes!!) that get used by us teafreaks. Your cups are on the large size, and for the chawan shapes I think that is pretty good. Although, I would like to see some smaller cups, I would definately not want to see all these large beautiful cups replaced!

[brandon]

Here is a messy arrangement of my favorite cup shapes and sizes. I present this as an example, but would advise that I don't expect my rather Taiwan-inspired ideals to be marketable, even here.

Sizes range from 5 oz to a little under 1 oz.

[T-session]

Thank you all for the ideas on tea drinking habits and tea bowl sizes. I will definately make different sizes. Mostly with the first firings were to learn how to fire and control the kiln, it is a difficult beast at times... Then I have been finding out what color combinations I like and where in the kiln different glazes work best. Now that I am working on fine tuning different specialties, like tea ware.
Thanks, Bill

[Little pig]

Thank you all for the ideas on tea drinking habits and tea bowl sizes. I will definitely make different sizes. Mostly with the first firings were to learn how to fire and control the kiln, it is a difficult beast at times... Thanks, Bill

Bill: I just love your reference to the kiln as a "difficult beast". Kilns in my opinion are at times difficult beasts but always they are such lovely things.
Best Regards

[T-session]

Hi Lil' Pig,
Do you wood fire? You would know what I'm talking about. They (the kilnsdifficult beasts) stall around 1100* F and again around 2000* F... Usually have to "mess with it" to get it going up again. Also I know the bricks are soaking up heat so the atmoshere in there can rise. My older brother gave me the knickname "piglet" when I was young cause of my nose then. Care to share with the group how you got your knickname?! They do and are beautiful things for us though, I agree. Bill

[T-session]

***OUT OF TOWN ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be on vacation from Friday, July 24th until Friday, July 31st. I will return posts during then on Saturday, August 1st. THANKS!

[Little pig]

Hi Lil' Pig,
Do you wood fire? You would know what I'm talking about. They (the kilnsdifficult beasts) stall around 1100* F and again around 2000* F... Usually have to "mess with it" to get it going up again. Also I know the bricks are soaking up heat so the atmoshere in there can rise. My older brother gave me the knickname "piglet" when I was young cause of my nose then. Care to share with the group how you got your knickname?! They do and are beautiful things for us though, I agree. Bill

Hi Bill: Gas not wood fire is my forte. It (a gas kiln) was the first thing that got my attention in the ceramic studio. It is the thing I do now for a couple art centers in my area. I haven't done the wood fire thing (yet). Figure that is not all bad because what will become of me if I fall for the wood firing as that is a most difficult beast!

Little Pig? Not much of a story. Sounds cute, but I am not. It was the Big Bad Wolf who is an artist. I married him and live in my studio of brick. Every once and a while he comes knocking. "Little Pig, Little Pig, let me in!"

That all depends dear Wolfie--what do you have in your hands?

[T-session]

I thought in your story was cute. I checked out your flickr site after my last post/question and saw that you did gas. Nice work!!
Also... I just finished another firing, odds and ends, pieces I have not had room for in previous firings and some refires...sometimes they come out better than the first time... sometimes they crack.
I've still got a kiln to unload tomorrow, ( it's still cooling, I didn't finish till 3:45 am...) I can't wait to unload it

Chris, thanks for the info about the trays, I make some when I hit the clay again.

Cheers, Bill

[T-session]

Hi,
Before I leave to go on my honeymoon, (two years later...) I wanted to post a couple of pics from my new firing. The firing went "ok". Only had a couple dozen good pieces, alot of wastes. But I did have a couple of "pick of the litter" ones and one is a fantastic tea bowl that ended up with a rainbow of colors... I'm still trying to figure out how it happened. I won't be able to reproduce it again. So it's a rare one. I don't think the pics do it justice either. .
I also did get a nice mountain one with the limited palette of colors.
. There is one more full color landscape yunomi that is very nice but not as beautiful as the one kentukymidwife bought. I'll get some pics together when I get back. Heres one more tea bowl with a nice color scheme. the inside is awesome. There's reds and greens from the ash...really nice. Need to start packing better stop for now .
I ordered a wedding crock from zotterthepotter in Pennsylvania (sp?) and we are going to be stopping there to "look at his studio". Little does Mary Ann know but ours will be sitting in the counter display, all done. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she notices it!!! I think she might be surprized I thought it would go along with the honeymoon theme.
Talk to you all in a week. Bill

[kymidwife]

What a nice teaware day for me... first the Hagi set finally arrived, and now I got my new mountainscape yunomi. I will take my own photos later and post but for now, let me say it is absolutely fantastic! The colors are stunning, the varying surface textures provide an interesting tactile element, the mountains and sky are just amazing... the weight, balance, and size are perfect for my hands.

I really love it, Bill.. thanks so much! Have a happy Honeymoon!

Sarah

[Aphroditea]

Sarah you bought my cup!!!

Seriously, I showed it to my Dad and was talking about it and decided I wanted it and clicked on it only to find it had been bought while I was looking at it!!

Glad you know it was YOU who snagged it. It couldn't have gone to a better home!

[T-session]

Hi all,
Sarah, I'm glad you like your yunomi!! I thought it was exceptional too. I do have one more like it, but not quite as nice.
Aphy, if you're still interested or even like this one, it has almost a sunset quality to it, like late afternoon. It would be $46.
just some real quick pics. I won't list it till I get back.
Bill

[kymidwife]

Sarah you bought my cup!!!

Seriously, I showed it to my Dad and was talking about it and decided I wanted it and clicked on it only to find it had been bought while I was looking at it!!

Glad you know it was YOU who snagged it. It couldn't have gone to a better home!

Eeeek sorry, didn't mean to be a sniper! I can't blame anyone for wanting it, though.

It is so lovely, I'm not really sorry. Just kiddin