On Friday we took a break from the studio to go on a field trip to Bakersville, NC. We visited
Crimson Laurel Gallery and
Mica Gallery which is a new gallery that is a co-op owned by the potters of the Roan. Both galleries had lots of exciting and interesting pottery. Crimson Laurel's latest exhibit was of wood fired works. I took this picture for Tracey Broome. It's really great to see how art is helping to make this little town thrive.
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| Wood Fired Houses and Barns |
From there we went to visit the studio and home of Suze Lindsay and Kent McLaughlin, Suze was still at Mica but Kent showed us around the studio and told us how his chicken fat kiln worked including some of the eccentricities and funny stories of firing with this combustable. He then invited us into the house for delicious brownies and lemon aide. Of course we were all completely taken with the magnificent pottery collection. This picture is just a very, very small sample. I think we could have spent hours there inspecting all the pots.
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| How Many Potters Can You Name On These Shelves? |
We left there really inspired to get back into the studio and create new pots, but first we unloaded Lucille. I only had one piece in the kiln and it was a test piece but I was pleased with what I learned about the glazes.
Today we unloaded a bisque kiln and one of my tea pots exploded in a really big way. We are all very certain it was dry before it was put into the kiln and then the kiln candled for about 5 hours. One other pot exploded also and that one was also made by someone that knows enough not to put wet pots into the kiln so we are pretty curious what caused the explosions. Thankfully one of the tea pots I made did survive and I had time to make another one today.
How fortunate you are to be able to visit to galleries and a studio...with brownies and lemonade yet!
ReplyDeleteBad enough to have a pot blow up, but to be unable to figure out why is the pits! Glad to hear that one survived.
Yes Suzie, it is fortunate, and Suze and Kent were such nice people. They took the time to do this while getting ready for a big show Labor Day weekend.
DeleteGood to see the wood fired houses, makes me want to do a barrel firing in my back yard which I havent' done in a while; a nice pottery collection. Strange about the explosions, the only thing I can think of would be plaster in the clay or some other debris to make them explode.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I was thinking the same thing. Neither pot was thrown on plaster but you never know what might have gotten into the clay before firing, or even before we opened the bag. It's Highwater Hestia, they normally make great clay but I have found stuff (like a piece of cardboard) in the clay.
DeleteSorry to hear about the teapot. Maybe there is a bad relay on the kiln and the temp climbed too high at one point in the candling.
ReplyDeleteI use highwater clay as well and also have found questionable stuff in it on occasion.
Hi Michèle, we are questioning the kiln elements also since both pots were on the bottom shelf. Hopefully well either find something and prevent further explosions.
DeleteMaybe one pot damaged the other? I've had that happen before. It's only happened in two kiln loads for me, but I did have a piece of one pot hit and break another one on the other side of the shelf.
ReplyDeleteGood thought but they were not next to each other.
DeleteLook at those houses! Makes me want to build a wood kiln! Thanks for the photo :)
ReplyDeleteI did the same as you when I was at Penland. I ended up with almost nothing to fire, but made a lot, just learning new skills and trying things I wouldn't usually try. Everyone had all their work out on the table and in the end of session show, and I had nothing for the show, but I had so much new knowledge, worth way more!
It's true Tracey, I'd rather go home with a head full of knowledge than a truck load of pots.
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