trying car camping with my jimny and making a bowl

i wanted to try my jimny for camping and also make a bowl for this month’s video.

i’ve always been interested in camping food, especially cooking over fire, and i ended up using this bowl for many different meals.

in the past, i used to do bikepacking, so i was used to traveling light and carrying only lightweight items. because of that, the idea of making a ceramic piece for camping never felt right. but after switching to car camping, i realized this could actually work.

for this bowl, i tried an epsom salt technique and made some simple, soft lines inside. i usually add epsom salt by eye, and so far it has worked well for me. i haven’t had issues like cracking or problems during the process.

i shared the whole process on youtube. if it sounds interesting to you, you can watch it through the link. the video includes not only the pottery process, but also some simple camping meals.

 

A new Youtube Vlog!

A new video is now live on my YouTube channel.

From an sea walk to the studio this video shows the process behind my black clay cups.

 

A Cup With Two Ears

This little two-handled cup has been with me for about two years now. I first made it after reading some Etsy reviews where people were looking for cups with two handles—I hadn’t known before that for some, holding a regular cup can be tricky.

While making it, I didn’t focus only on that need; I wanted it to feel sweet and a bit playful too. The handles turned into ears, a tiny nose appeared in the front, and suddenly it became more like a character than just a cup.

It’s still one of my favorites, maybe because it carries both a story and a smile.

Nudibranch Glaze

 

a Secret Salt Shaker

 While working on the secret salt shaker, my main focus was creating a design that was both functional and included the hidden hole surprise. Shaping the clay on the wheel required careful attention to keep the walls thin and balanced; the bottom hole needed to be durable while still working smoothly.

 

Working on the wheel was very instructive, as it allowed me to spot and correct small imperfections immediately. I adjusted the volume and balance with the surprise in mind, considering how the salt would pour. After drying, the high-fire firing made the piece strong and smooth. Applying the glaze was critical too; I experimented to achieve an aesthetic finish without affecting the bottom hole or overall balance.

The result is a handmade, slightly unique salt shaker—functional but also playful. Working on the wheel and bringing this design to life taught me a lot, especially about proportion and balance.

 

By the way, I reopened my Etsy shop today after many years!  I also got my website for KupObjects ready and added some products—there’s still room for growth, of course. I’ve been wanting to create my own site on Cargo.site for a long time, and now it’s finally done.

White Matte and Nudibranch Tests

Over the past few days in the studio, I’ve been testing a white matte glaze as well as another glaze called Nudibranch on a series of small bowls, to see how they behave on different clay bodies

The blue nudibranch in the center and the bowl above it were glazed with the same base but with a blue colorant added. All the other bowls are coated with the plain white matte breaking base glaze. The interesting part? Even though the recipe was exactly the same, the results came out quite different because of the clay bodies.

On light clay bodies, the glaze fired to a cool, silky matte white. On warmer-toned clays, it developed subtle brown speckles and the breaking effect became more pronounced, especially along the rims, where it really highlights the shape and texture.

Opening the kiln and spotting these small differences is still the most exciting part for me. Same glaze, same firing — yet completely different results depending on the clay. That’s exactly why I love testing.

 

My New Kiln Has Arrived, Nabertherm Top 60 and AC590

Today my new ceramic kiln arrived. Early in the morning my Nabertherm Top 60 was delivered equipped with the AC590 controller. As soon as I unpacked it I started the initial firing program which is designed to slowly remove any moisture inside the kiln. It’s still running as I write this.

Previously I had been using an old Keramikos kiln which I had bought second-hand. It was already quite aged when it came into my studio. Although it served me well for a time it started to show signs of wear, and technical support was almost non-existent. I struggled for weeks just to replace a kiln wire. Eventually I gave up trying to reach the supplier and began sourcing parts elsewhere, learning to repair it myself along the way. That kiln accompanied me through three years of making but in the end even turning it on required balancing a pen on a chair to press the power button. It still works so I’ve decided to keep it for occasional use.

This new kiln feels like a complete shift — both technically and emotionally.
The AC590 controller brings a whole new level of control and precision to my process. It allows me to store up to 50 custom firing programs each with up to 40 segments. This means I can design every stage of the firing process in detail with full control over ramps, holds, and peak temperatures.

The interface is user-friendly with a large color display that makes programming straightforward. It even includes a built-in assistant called “Conny” which simplifies the setup by guiding me through the essential settings — such as cone value, speed, and hold time — in just a few steps.

But what impressed me most was its integration with a mobile app. I can now monitor the firing process from my phone — tracking current progress, time remaining, and any errors or alerts in real time. I receive notifications when the program finishes or if anything unexpected occurs.

The kiln also features USB data export allowing me to save and review firing data later. This is incredibly useful for analyzing results, comparing tests, and building a consistent, documented workflow. There’s even the option to write programs on a computer and transfer them directly to the kiln.

I hadn’t planned to get something this advanced but now that I have it I’m committed to working in a more disciplined, planned and data-driven way.

With this kiln I also plan to transition to Cone 9 firings. That means I’ll finally be able to test glazes I’ve only dreamed of before and re-visit old experiments under proper high-fire conditions. More tests more clarity and — I hope — more consistent results.

 

Hoi! Merhaba! Ben Ezgi Comert.

Eski Blogspot gunlerini ozleyenler var mi, iste o havayi biraz hayatima katmaya calisacagim. Simdi hayat biraz degisti Seramikle ugrasiyorum, ellerimle bir seyler yapmayi seviyorum ve bolca deneyler yapiyorum, sanirim cogunlukla bununla dolacaktir burasi da. 

Haydi baslayalim ^^

Hi! Hello!

Are there any of you who miss the old Blogspot days? I’m going to try to bring some of that vibe back into my life.
Life has changed a bit now. I’m working with ceramics, I love making things with my hands, and I’m doing lots of experiments. I think this space will mostly be about that.

Let’s get started! ^^