Merrie Boerner on mon 5 apr 99
Hello Clayart Friends,
Intrigued by wood firing ? Brookhaven, MS (60 miles South of Jackson) is
the place to be early this Summer. This workshop will begin on the morning
of June 5, and end late afternoon on June 13, 1999. Lowell Baker will
instruct us as we build a traditional Groundhog wood-firing kiln. Then we
plan on firing at least 12 bisque pots that you bring, for about 24 hours,
to around cone 10. This should give good ash deposit and very warm brown
clay color. Merrie will be taking a class on glaze treatment for wood-fired
pots at John C. Campbell Folk School in May, and will share recipes and
techniques that she learns with you.
We live in the country on several acres and have the perfect sight for a
woodfiring kiln. We have a pool and a small cabin with a restroom/shower
and small kitchen that will be available to campers who stay on the
grounds. Or, there are four very new Motels in town ( Comfort Inn, Days
Inn, Best Western, and Hampton Inn). Their rates are between $45 to $60 per
night.
The fee for the workshop is $100. GREAT DEAL !!! We will be supplying
drinks and snacks during the day as we work. We also plan to have several
meals here, including a pig roast and a Cajun supper. Musicians will be
jammin by the campfire, and local personalities will be droppin by to check
out the most exciting thing going on in the county. Everyone will surely
get a big dose of "Southern Hospitality" while visiting here. We invite all
our friends from town to the firing and tell them to "BRING FOOD !" We
intend to supply food, fun, and entertainment equal to the amount of help
that you supply in building this kiln!
The groundhog kiln was popular in the 18th and 19th century, mainly in the
hills of North Carolina and Georgia. It is loaded and stoked through the
same opening. The pots are typically stacked on top of each other but we
will want to use shelves. These kilns produced most of the historic jugs
and churns which were made in the South for almost two centuries. They
went out of style with the introduction of gas as a fuel, but
many of these wood fired versions of the kiln remained in use in
Northeast Mississippi until the early 1950s. The groundhog uses a unique
chimney and flue system and typically does not have a damper. Some damping
of the fire is done by opening holes in the flue to cause a "check draft".
The stoking and firing are done through the same opening. A short bag wall
is sometimes placed between the firebox and the ware after the chamber is
stacked. Stoking is done by filling the firebox and allowing the wood to
burn down and then restoking. This is somewhat different than other wood
fired kilns. Historically temperatures in excess of cone 10 were
reached in this type kiln. The groundhog kiln may be fired like an anagama
with a long firing cycle or it can be fired to temperature in as little as
24 hours.
Lowell is very knowledgeable about many types of kilns and would enjoy
going over your plans and discussing all facets of firings....especially
using sawdust ( see page 50 in Nils Lou's THE ART OF FIRING). He is a
professor at University of Alabama, where he has built a two chamber
flat-top wood kiln. Merrie has been there for two firings with Lowell, and
can tell you...."he knows his stuff". He has over 30 years experience and
has been featured several times in Ceramics Monthly. You may recognize his
name from answers he has given to questions on Clayart and Ceramics
Monthly.
If you are truly interested, please give us a call at 601-833-5631 or send
a letter or e-mail, as soon as possible, and we will send the application
form with all the details. The first 20 responding with the $100 fee will
be accepted. This will be a very unique experience...work hard, play hard,
and FIRE WITH WOOD !!!
Join us on Hog Chain, Merrie and Bill
Merrie and Bill Boerner
304 Hog Chain Dr. SE
Bogue Chitto, MS 39629
601-833-5631 Boerner@tislink.com
This project is supported in part by a grant from the Mississippi Arts
Commission.
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