Since we are never entirely in control when we fire the lustre kiln- nor would we want to be- it seems obvious that the results will be variable and some labelled good, some less so, some may even be binned.

Hamada Shoji was a close friend of Bernard Leach and said when he reached the age of 80 that he no longer worried whether his work was good or bad, he simply did it.

I have yet to reach that blessed state. After each firing, Kerry and I spend time looking at the work, grading the results in our different ways, and making notes to do better in future.

After a particularly difficult firing, a friend came to see the results and could not agree with my opinion. Instead of breaking the pots I was unhappy with, she advised putting them aside. We have done that.

Maybe it is better just to do the work. No better-no worse-just pots we have made.