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Long time, no talk! And there's so much to catch up on.
Above is the finished coffee set from last month's newsletter, now beautifully glazed and ready for its new home.
This one has already been claimed as a special wedding gift, but don't worry... more sets are currently in the making!
Looking Ahead
September brings something I've been looking forward to for months.
I'll be spending a week in Prince Edward County attending a wood-firing workshop, which means most of July and August have been dedicated almost entirely to preparing for it.
Wood firing is beautifully unpredictable. Instead of relying solely on glaze, the flames, ash, and atmosphere inside the kiln leave their own marks on every piece, creating surfaces that simply can't be replicated. Even two identical pots glazed the same way can emerge looking completely different, entirely because of where it was placed in the kiln and how it interacted with these components during the firing.
How It Works
Throughout the firing, we constantly stoke and feed wood to the kiln to raise its temperature. The process has a natural rhythm to it: wood burns, gases cycle through the kiln, and the temperature rises and falls in waves. One of the most recognizable marks of a wood-fired pot is those slightly glossy, darkened or blush-pink spots left by the flames. Completely unpredictable, and absolutely gorgeous!
Depending on the kiln and firing schedule, a single firing can last anywhere from several hours to ten days...
I will be packing several books.
The Prep
To prepare, I'll be making roughly 30 to 40 pieces to bring with me, so the next couple of months are shaping up to be some of the busiest I've had in the studio. It's equal parts exciting and daunting.
I'll be sharing updates as everything progresses and, hopefully, documenting as much of the process as I can. Considering I usually spend half my day wondering where I left my phone, we'll see how much footage I actually manage to capture!
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