David Woof on thu 15 mar 12
Hi all=3D2C
The best decision one can make early in one's career (or late) is not to cr=
=3D
owd around the current hot pottery fishing hole while poised to jump on the=
=3D
next faddish band wagon or give way to despair when someone predicts the d=
=3D
eath of popularity over something one has found satisfying or has just disc=
=3D
overed a fascination for.=3D20
=3D20
Pay the most attention to making and improving good pots. Good pots will al=
=3D
ways sell. How we fire them or with what is secondary in the minds of the b=
=3D
uying majority. Except for when we have developed a following client base w=
=3D
hom we have educated to appreciate what we do.
=3D20
I was over Brown wood fired pots by 1981 and so began a life quest for wood=
=3D
fired glazes and techniques that would make them sing with the enhancement=
=3D
of wood fire. It has paid me richly over the years and will continue to a=
=3D
s long as I am passionate about what I do. I feed it=3D2C it feeds me=3D2C =
no c=3D
ompromise!!
=3D20
New customers encountering my work are drawn to the work and richness of co=
=3D
lors and textures complimenting forms and they could give a wit about how I=
=3D
fired them until they verbalize a positive response to the work=3D2C and I=
g=3D
et the chance to discuss and explain the value of the wood fire effects whi=
=3D
ch enhance the glazes and forms in an enriching and serendipitous way.
=3D20
There is nothing impoverished about the committed and pasionate wood-firing=
=3D
potters who inhabit every livable continent where wood fuel is obtainable.
=3D20
Yesterday I was picking the spot to build my new Wood fired kiln overlookin=
=3D
g the Coquille River just outside Coquille=3D2C Oregon.
=3D20
I've sold my place in Arizona and the new owner=3D2C while not a potter=3D2=
C is=3D
excited to be meeting the firing "crew" and continue firings there.
=3D20
My encouragement to the folks who are giving up is to take a look at what y=
=3D
ou are doing and what it is getting you and if you really "feel" yearn wood=
=3D
fire in your soul=3D2C make some changes=3D2C turn that down in the mouth =
righ=3D
t side up and ride this train.
=3D20
=3D20
=3D20
David Woof
_______________________________________________________________
=3D20
13a. wood firing out of favor
Posted by: "mel jacobson" melpots2@VISI.COM=3D20
Date: Thu Mar 15=3D2C 2012 9:44 am ((PDT))
it is not about how you fire.
it is about your audience.
it is not `out of favor` if you have
people that want your wood fired pots.
if you have free wood=3D2C a place to fire=3D2C and
a good selection of people that want those
pots...it will be in favor as long as you make pots.
david hendley fires with wood. he will for a long time
to come. what some gallery wants does not affect him.
we will fire our wood kiln at the farm for as long as
we wish. we have mountains of fallen trees and
three saw mills in the area. we have all the wood
we will ever need. we love our wood fired kiln.
(salt kiln too.)
there are many ways to fire a kiln.
electricity may be the most expensive. propane would
be next=3D2C natural gas may be the cheapest. wood can
be very inexpensive=3D2C but work intense. it is all a trade off.
a computer driven kiln is not work at all. push the button.
but=3D2C glaze development will be the key.
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart page below:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Messages in this topic (2)
________________________________________________________________________
13b. Re: wood firing out of favor
Posted by: "Pottery by John" potterybyjohn@BELLSOUTH.NET=3D20
Date: Thu Mar 15=3D2C 2012 11:37 am ((PDT))
Just when I get my first opportunity (next month) to participate in a wood
firing=3D2C it goes out of style. Shucks=3D2C I guess I will have to hold o=
n to=3D
the
pots I get out of my first one=3D3B I hope they are all racers. I'm still g=
oi=3D
ng
to offer a few at my next sale and see what happens. At my last sale some
of my pots from my first soda firing sold=3D2C so maybe it's the pot=3D2C n=
ot t=3D
he
firing method.
John Lowes
Sandy Springs=3D2C Georgia
http://wynhillpottery.weebly.com/ =
=3D
mel jacobson on thu 15 mar 12
it is not about how you fire.
it is about your audience.
it is not `out of favor` if you have
people that want your wood fired pots.
if you have free wood, a place to fire, and
a good selection of people that want those
pots...it will be in favor as long as you make pots.
david hendley fires with wood. he will for a long time
to come. what some gallery wants does not affect him.
we will fire our wood kiln at the farm for as long as
we wish. we have mountains of fallen trees and
three saw mills in the area. we have all the wood
we will ever need. we love our wood fired kiln.
(salt kiln too.)
there are many ways to fire a kiln.
electricity may be the most expensive. propane would
be next, natural gas may be the cheapest. wood can
be very inexpensive, but work intense. it is all a trade off.
a computer driven kiln is not work at all. push the button.
but, glaze development will be the key.
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart page below:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Pottery by John on thu 15 mar 12
Just when I get my first opportunity (next month) to participate in a wood
firing, it goes out of style. Shucks, I guess I will have to hold on to the
pots I get out of my first one; I hope they are all racers. I'm still goin=
g
to offer a few at my next sale and see what happens. At my last sale some
of my pots from my first soda firing sold, so maybe it's the pot, not the
firing method.
John Lowes
Sandy Springs, Georgia
http://wynhillpottery.weebly.com/
tony clennell on thu 15 mar 12
According to Dr. David Foote Economic Demographer and author of Boom, Bust
and Echo demographics explains 2/3 of everything. Harley's were hot 10
years ago. I don't know if I'd be buying Harley stock in the next decade.
The bump of the population is somewhere between 50 and 70. We ache where
weused to play. I'm still up for a good wood firing but I wouldn't want to
make my living from a wood kiln. Gee, I just got an invite to be in a wood
fire book. I had to decline as I no longer have a wood kiln. For the 33
years I had one no one came along with a book. Maybe it is just because I'm
back to low temp e-ware it seems like a lot of good respectable wood/salt
potters have also switched to the dark side complete with programmable
kilns.
The students salted one of my jugs and boy does it look sweet. Makes me
yearn for a wood salt kiln. Nope, fight that notion Tony you are an urban
potter and you make the best pots ya can with what ya have.
cy'all in Seattle.
tc
On Thu, Mar 15, 2012 at 1:41 PM, Pottery by John <
potterybyjohn@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Just when I get my first opportunity (next month) to participate in a woo=
d
> firing, it goes out of style. Shucks, I guess I will have to hold on to t=
he
> pots I get out of my first one; I hope they are all racers. I'm still
> going
> to offer a few at my next sale and see what happens. At my last sale som=
e
> of my pots from my first soda firing sold, so maybe it's the pot, not the
> firing method.
>
> John Lowes
> Sandy Springs, Georgia
> http://wynhillpottery.weebly.**com/
>
--
http://smokieclennell.blogspot.com
Chad Nielson on fri 16 mar 12
A friend of mine has a gambling problem . He told me once=3DA0 that video p=
ok=3D
er machines would give him the same feeling as a naked woman beckoning him.=
=3D
=3DA0=3DA0 There is just some thing about chinese elm ash!!!!. A few years =
ago =3D
was mulling this over in my mind . Know of several local potters=3DA0 who m=
ak=3D
e fu fu. A lot of white=3DA0 looks mass produced=3DA0 . They sell like mad.=
At =3D
the time was trying to define the reasons for being a wood fired potter. Do=
=3D
nt have to make pots to make a living Was selling the main reason was doing=
=3D
this . What kind of pots do I like. Is pleasing myself=3DA0 more important=
t=3D
han the public where was the common ground?=3DA0 That summer spent a few ev=
en=3D
ings out under the stars with the cats making enough to fire a load Had sev=
=3D
eral requests for things that=3DA0 had agreed to make. there was a local ar=
ts=3D
festival coming up. After the firing on the top shelf there were 3 pieces =
=3D
that answered the question. They were brown=3DA0 but there was just somethi=
ng
that made them sing!=3D0AAt the arts festival=3DA0 after several hours=3DA=
0 a co=3D
uple came by and picked out 2 of the 3 scattered among over a hundred pots.=
=3D
Verification. Be true to yourself=3DA0 work will always be better. Wood fir=
in=3D
g isnt for everybody but is the thing for some people. =3D0ASometimes descr=
ib=3D
e my ware as modern folkart. Seems to help some people to put things into p=
=3D
erspective. There is still just something about chinese elm ash.=3D0A=3DA0C=
had =3D
B. Nielson=3D0A=3DA0=3D0A=3DA0=3D0A=3DA0=3D0Aa=3D0A =3D0A=3D0A_____________=
___________________=3D
=3D0A From: mel jacobson =3D0ATo: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.O=
RG =3D
=3D0ASent: Thursday, March 15, 2012 10:43 AM=3D0ASubject: wood firing out o=
f fa=3D
vor=3D0A =3D0Ait is not about how you fire.=3D0Ait is about your audience.=
=3D0Ait =3D
is not `out of favor` if you have=3D0Apeople that want your wood fired pots=
.=3D
=3D0A=3D0Aif you have free wood, a place to fire, and=3D0Aa good selection =
of peo=3D
ple that want those=3D0Apots...it will be in favor as long as you make pots=
.=3D
=3D0A=3D0Adavid hendley fires with wood.=3DA0 he will for a long time=3D0At=
o come.=3D
=3DA0 what some gallery wants does not affect him.=3D0A=3D0Awe will fire ou=
r wood=3D
kiln at the farm for as long as=3D0Awe wish.=3DA0 we have mountains of fal=
len =3D
trees and=3D0Athree saw mills in the area.=3DA0 we have all the wood=3D0Awe=
will =3D
ever need.=3DA0 we love our wood fired kiln.=3D0A(salt kiln too.)=3D0A=3D0A=
there ar=3D
e many ways to fire a kiln.=3D0Aelectricity may be the most expensive.=3DA0=
pro=3D
pane would=3D0Abe next, natural gas may be the cheapest.=3DA0 wood can=3D0A=
be ver=3D
y inexpensive, but work intense.=3DA0 it is all a trade off.=3D0Aa computer=
dri=3D
ven kiln is not work at all.=3DA0 push the button.=3D0Abut, glaze developme=
nt w=3D
ill be the key.=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://www.visi.com/~melpots/=3D0Aclayar=
t page bel=3D
ow:=3D0Ahttp://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
James Freeman on fri 16 mar 12
I caught the tail end of a thread regarding wood firing being out of favor,
and thought I might comment.
As some of you know, I was, in a past life, an evil Wall Street type,
trader, securities analyst, lots of other things (though I never did get to
"rip the eyeballs out of Muppets", or whatever the silly phrase was in the
NYT op/ed). At that time, an economist whose name escapes me at the moment
came up with a very interesting method of predicting the stock market based
on popular culture, and it did seem to work pretty well (to the extent that
such chaotic systems can even be mapped).
In a nutshell, his idea was this: When folks are fat, happy, and feeling
good about the future, they tend to invest in that future, and vice versa.
When folks chase a product, equities or otherwise, the price goes up due to
Adam Smith's invisible hands. This idea is taken as axiomatic.
He then postulated that the things folks enjoy, or at least the things that
appeal to them, are also influenced by their current economic mood. When
folks are generally optimistic, he theorized, they would be attracted to
happy, pretty things, like movies with happy endings, romantic comedies,
bright and cheerful color, shallow and sappy music, that sort of thing.
Conversely, when folks were dour, they would be attracted to movies on
themes of death, destruction, and betrayal, somber music, somber colors,
restrained fashion, that sort of thing. The economist reasoned that by
charting what particular sorts of popular entertainment and goods were
being voted for with dollars, he could determine what the general populace
really believed, regardless of what they might profess to a pollster or
confessor.
What has this to do with clay? For years, pretty much all I could sell was
pottery in pretty, happy, Easter Bunny colors. Though I would show my wood
fired work, I never sold a single piece. Likewise, I had trouble selling
my sculptural pieces, which tend toward melancholy in both theme and
presence. This paradigm changed dramatically approximately two years ago.
At one of the holiday shows I did in a very wealthy suburb of Detroit in
2010, very few of my happy pots sold, but every single wood fired piece
sold the first day, as did all of my somber, heavily distressed pottery.
At this past year's holiday show, this pattern repeated, the wood fired and
somber work outselling the happy (and only moderately happy this year, no
bright colors) by a good 10 to 1. Further, for the past couple of years,
my sculptural works have been selling very well, for the first time handily
exceeding my functional and decorative work, which used to pay the bills.
It appears that the economist's theory works in reverse too. While he
could monitor our popular behavior and use it to infer our true mood (and
thus our proclivity toward investment), it seems that if we can properly
assess the general mood (uncolored by our own possibly aberrant personal
outlook), we can predict with some accuracy what goods may be in demand.
Around these parts, at least, somber seems to still be "in". A gallery
that recently picked up my work is, after selling a goodly number of wood
fired pieces made by a friend and I, planning their first all wood fired
exhibition for next season. Sorry to disagree, Tony, old friend, but I
don't think "happy tangerine" is going to sell around here just yet. I
think wood fired is still "the new black"!
All the best.
...James
James Freeman
"Talk sense to a fool, and he calls you foolish."
-Euripides
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
Robert Harris on fri 16 mar 12
That's odd. I have heard exactly the same theory in reverse. That is
in times of depression people want to read happy books, see escapist
movies, and so on. He offered historical examples (can't remember
exactly which ones).
It wouldn't surprise me however if some people pick pots art etc, that
reflect their mood. Whereas other people (or even the same people)
pick movies and books, and other things that manipulate emotions
(rather than reflect them), to make themselves happier.
Thinking about current movies, a lot of them seem to be very
historical in tone - memories of happier times perhaps? Of course
movies also have a long lag time (how long does it take a movie to get
made) when reflecting the general emotion of the population.
Just as a devil's advocate - and as a scientists who likes to think of
half a dozen hypotheses before breakfast (to steal a line) - perhaps
the current economic times have in fact changed the demographics of
who is buying your stuff. In other words, those people who would buy
wood-fired pottery were the same, and always out there, but before you
did not come across them, or they bought stuff other than ceramics
before.
I suspect, like many of these general theories of social science, one
could prove just about any point, by picking the appropriate anecdotal
evidence (i.e. movies etc). Of course that doesn't make your anecdote
any less interesting or worthwhile. I was certainly fascinated by it!
>
> As some of you know, I was, in a past life, an evil Wall Street type,
> trader, securities analyst, lots of other things (though I never did get =
=3D
to
> "rip the eyeballs out of Muppets", or whatever the silly phrase was in th=
=3D
e
> NYT op/ed). =3DA0At that time, an economist whose name escapes me at the =
mo=3D
ment
> came up with a very interesting method of predicting the stock market bas=
=3D
ed
> on popular culture, and it did seem to work pretty well (to the extent th=
=3D
at
> such chaotic systems can even be mapped).
>
> In a nutshell, his idea was this: =3DA0When folks are fat, happy, and fee=
li=3D
ng
> good about the future, they tend to invest in that future, and vice versa=
=3D
.
> When folks chase a product, equities or otherwise, the price goes up due =
=3D
to
> Adam Smith's invisible hands. =3DA0This idea is taken as axiomatic.
>
> He then postulated that the things folks enjoy, or at least the things th=
=3D
at
> appeal to them, are also influenced by their current economic mood. =3DA0=
Wh=3D
en
> folks are generally optimistic, he theorized, they would be attracted to
> happy, pretty things, like movies with happy endings, romantic comedies,
> bright and cheerful color, shallow and sappy music, that sort of thing.
> Conversely, when folks were dour, they would be attracted to movies on
> themes of death, destruction, and betrayal, somber music, somber colors,
> restrained fashion, that sort of thing. =3DA0The economist reasoned that =
by
> charting what particular sorts of popular entertainment and goods were
> being voted for with dollars, he could determine what the general populac=
=3D
e
> really believed, regardless of what they might profess to a pollster or
> confessor.
>
> What has this to do with clay? =3DA0For years, pretty much all I could se=
ll=3D
was
> pottery in pretty, happy, Easter Bunny colors. =3DA0Though I would show m=
y =3D
wood
> fired work, I never sold a single piece. =3DA0Likewise, I had trouble sel=
li=3D
ng
> my sculptural pieces, which tend toward melancholy in both theme and
> presence. =3DA0This paradigm changed dramatically approximately two years=
a=3D
go.
> At one of the holiday shows I did in a very wealthy suburb of Detroit in
> 2010, very few of my happy pots sold, but every single wood fired piece
> sold the first day, as did all of my somber, heavily distressed pottery.
> At this past year's holiday show, this pattern repeated, the wood fired a=
=3D
nd
> somber work outselling the happy (and only moderately happy this year, no
> bright colors) by a good 10 to 1. =3DA0Further, for the past couple of ye=
ar=3D
s,
> my sculptural works have been selling very well, for the first time handi=
=3D
ly
> exceeding my functional and decorative work, which used to pay the bills.
>
> It appears that the economist's theory works in reverse too. =3DA0While h=
e
> could monitor our popular behavior and use it to infer our true mood (and
> thus our proclivity toward investment), it seems that if we can properly
> assess the general mood (uncolored by our own possibly aberrant personal
> outlook), we can predict with some accuracy what goods may be in demand.
> Around these parts, at least, somber seems to still be "in". =3DA0A galle=
ry
> that recently picked up my work is, after selling a goodly number of wood
> fired pieces made by a friend and I, planning their first all wood fired
> exhibition for next season. =3DA0Sorry to disagree, Tony, old friend, but=
I
> don't think "happy tangerine" is going to sell around here just yet. =3DA=
0I
> think wood fired is still "the new black"!
>
> All the best.
>
> ...James
>
> James Freeman
>
> "Talk sense to a fool, and he calls you foolish."
> -Euripides
>
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
--=3D20
----------------------------------------------------------
James Freeman on fri 16 mar 12
On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 1:11 PM, Chad Nielson wro=
te:
Wood firing isnt for everybody but is the thing for some people.
Sometimes describe my ware as modern folkart. Seems to help some people to
put things into perspective. There is still just something about chinese
elm ash.
I think, Chad, that you have hit the proverbial nail on the head. At
least, it is so for me. I would drive for hours, cut days out of my
schedule, just to participate in a wood firing, knowing full well that I
would never sell a single pot. I have participated in wood firings at
several universities, commandeered the wood kiln at the local college (cone
15!), and even seriously considered accepting Rimas' invitation to travel
to the other side of the country to participate in the final firing of the
noborigama he and his friend built in the 70s with the help of a cadre of
naked hippies. I drove across the state to spend a day splitting wood and
stoking with Dick Lehman at Mark Goertzen's kiln, even though I didn't even
have any pots in the firing! In April I will be firing the wood kiln with
a friend's students at his university in Indiana. With three 200 mile
round trips, one to load, one to take my stoking shift, and one to unload,
I will lose money on the deal even if my pots sell. So why do it?
For me, it is more than just the pots, and is more than just the limbic
thrill of playing with fire and seeing a 6 foot flame roaring from the
stack against a night sky. The entire experience is a thrill. The brute
work of splitting and stacking wood, the camaraderie amongst a group of
people sharing good microbrews and bad food around a roaring firebox, the
sheer grubby and anachronistic pleasure of a bunch of folk singularly
focused on such a relatively meaningless task, so far removed from ordinary
modern life. While we fire, we are neo-primitives, connected to our
distant past.
Though it likely will never pay for itself, I plan to build my own wood
kiln this summer. I found a great deal on new silicon carbide shelves, and
they are stacked in the garage, taunting me. I have a small group of
friends, even one or two from ClayArt, who have expressed interest in
helping with construction and participating in the maiden voyage. I will
have a number of technical and design questions for the group, but I will
save those for now, as reading over what I just wrote, it is obvious that
the massive doses of Sudafed has addled my brain. It reads like freaking
poetry! Ugh. Sorry.
Time to slip back into my quiet coma.
All the best.
...James
James Freeman
"Talk sense to a fool, and he calls you foolish."
-Euripides
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
Vince Pitelka on fri 16 mar 12
I have had some trouble getting booted off the Clayart list because of my
ISP bouncing back posts from Clayart. My ISP is working on it, trying to
figure it out. It has happened several times in the last two weeks, so I
know I have missed a lot of posts, including whatever original one inspired
this thread.
I know that we have a lot of trouble in North America with short attention
spans, usually among kids who watched too much TV. I'd say that anyone who
thinks wood firing is out of favor fits into that category - too much TV,
short attention span. Other cultures have explored wood firing for
millennia, and all of a sudden some people in North America are saying wood
firing is out of favor? Anyone feeding into this notion is part of the
problem. Give wood-firers a break. Those who are truly committed have
barely begun to explore the possibilities of wood-firing. Anyone who
chooses to turn their back on wood-firing, hey, fine, that's great. The
more variety in ceramics the better. Those who stick with wood firing and
try to coax out the subtle essence of the process is to be soundly
commended.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
jonathan byler on fri 16 mar 12
don't worry, painting and sculpture (and art in general for that
matter) are all dead. Ignore the idiots and carry on.
On Mar 16, 2012, at 5:39 PM, Vince Pitelka wrote:
> I have had some trouble getting booted off the Clayart list because
> of my
> ISP bouncing back posts from Clayart. My ISP is working on it,
> trying to
> figure it out. It has happened several times in the last two weeks,
> so I
> know I have missed a lot of posts, including whatever original one
> inspired
> this thread.
>
> I know that we have a lot of trouble in North America with short
> attention
> spans, usually among kids who watched too much TV. I'd say that
> anyone who
> thinks wood firing is out of favor fits into that category - too
> much TV,
> short attention span. Other cultures have explored wood firing for
> millennia, and all of a sudden some people in North America are
> saying wood
> firing is out of favor? Anyone feeding into this notion is part of
> the
> problem. Give wood-firers a break. Those who are truly committed
> have
> barely begun to explore the possibilities of wood-firing. Anyone who
> chooses to turn their back on wood-firing, hey, fine, that's great.
> The
> more variety in ceramics the better. Those who stick with wood
> firing and
> try to coax out the subtle essence of the process is to be soundly
> commended.
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Craft
> Tennessee Tech University
> vpitelka@dtccom.net
> http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
Steve Mills on sat 17 mar 12
James, you are, like me, a Pyromantic!
To paraphrase my friend and fellow addict Wali Hawes: "Pyromantics of the W=
o=3D
rld, Ignite!"
Steve M=3D20
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my iPod
On 16 Mar 2012, at 18:16, James Freeman wrot=
e=3D
:
> On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 1:11 PM, Chad Nielson w=
r=3D
ote:
> Wood firing isnt for everybody but is the thing for some people.
> Sometimes describe my ware as modern folkart. Seems to help some people t=
o=3D
> put things into perspective. There is still just something about chinese
> elm ash.
>=3D20
>=3D20
>=3D20
>=3D20
> I think, Chad, that you have hit the proverbial nail on the head. At
> least, it is so for me. I would drive for hours, cut days out of my
> schedule, just to participate in a wood firing, knowing full well that I
> would never sell a single pot. I have participated in wood firings at
> several universities, commandeered the wood kiln at the local college (co=
n=3D
e
> 15!), and even seriously considered accepting Rimas' invitation to travel
> to the other side of the country to participate in the final firing of th=
e=3D
> noborigama he and his friend built in the 70s with the help of a cadre of
> naked hippies. I drove across the state to spend a day splitting wood an=
d=3D
> stoking with Dick Lehman at Mark Goertzen's kiln, even though I didn't ev=
e=3D
n
> have any pots in the firing! In April I will be firing the wood kiln wit=
h=3D
> a friend's students at his university in Indiana. With three 200 mile
> round trips, one to load, one to take my stoking shift, and one to unload=
,=3D
> I will lose money on the deal even if my pots sell. So why do it?
>=3D20
> For me, it is more than just the pots, and is more than just the limbic
> thrill of playing with fire and seeing a 6 foot flame roaring from the
> stack against a night sky. The entire experience is a thrill. The brute
> work of splitting and stacking wood, the camaraderie amongst a group of
> people sharing good microbrews and bad food around a roaring firebox, the
> sheer grubby and anachronistic pleasure of a bunch of folk singularly
> focused on such a relatively meaningless task, so far removed from ordina=
r=3D
y
> modern life. While we fire, we are neo-primitives, connected to our
> distant past.
>=3D20
> Though it likely will never pay for itself, I plan to build my own wood
> kiln this summer. I found a great deal on new silicon carbide shelves, a=
n=3D
d
> they are stacked in the garage, taunting me. I have a small group of
> friends, even one or two from ClayArt, who have expressed interest in
> helping with construction and participating in the maiden voyage. I will
> have a number of technical and design questions for the group, but I will
> save those for now, as reading over what I just wrote, it is obvious that
> the massive doses of Sudafed has addled my brain. It reads like freaking
> poetry! Ugh. Sorry.
>=3D20
> Time to slip back into my quiet coma.
>=3D20
> All the best.
>=3D20
> ...James
>=3D20
> James Freeman
>=3D20
> "Talk sense to a fool, and he calls you foolish."
> -Euripides
>=3D20
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
Lee on sat 17 mar 12
Folks seem to stereotype what woodfire is. I know from taking
potters around Mashiko for years, they often pick out the crusty pots.
I think because I was first drawn to woodfire by the Noborigama
work here in Minnesota/Wisconsin, and also inspired by soda work done
by Mark Pharis and others, and also Shimaoka's Yohen work, I've always
preferred smooth textures and mixture of subtle colors.
My potter friends here in Mashiko and Minakami have been telling
me about the letter they received from the city office related to wood
ash glazes and woodfiring. Potters are told to bring in their
ashes to be tested for radioactivity.
There has been recovery. Hiromi and Matt put a dinner party on
for us, and we were able to see our friends Doug and Miyajima. They
were both lucky and have been able to repair their kilns and
workshops. Doug does hikidashi and Miyajima has a pretty new
anagama.
doug:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=3D3D100000013730203
Miyajima:
https://www.facebook.com/masami.miyajima1
--=3D20
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
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