Advanced Wood Firing: Spring 2024

Dedicated Instruction day: Saturday, Feb 3, 2024 10a-4p

First Catenary Firing: 

Loading/Firing: March 15-17, 2024 (Fri-Sun), 

Unloading: Sunday, March 24 at 11:00a.

Second and Third Firings run concurrent: 

Anagama Loading/Firing: April 6-15, 2024 (9 days Sat-Mon)

Catenary Loading/Firing: April 11-13, 2024 (3 days Thurs-Sat)

Unloading together: Saturday April 27 at 11:00a.

Join Joe Robinson for an advanced course of wood firing instruction and practice in spring 2024! As a workshop participant, you may choose your own schedule, up to and including being at East Creek for the duration of both firing periods. At minimum, we need you at the loadings to get your pieces prepped and into the kiln. We will discuss individual logistics and limitations at the info day; any schedule limitations can be accomodated for. 

We'll start by meeting for a full day in early February. During the instruction day, we'll look at pots, discuss strategy and logistics, and see a firing in action. At the instruction day, you'll receive a written info packet to take home. This includes materials reccomendations. Then, do your homework and make your pots for a reduction cooled soda firing in March and for the Anagama cycle in April, including both Anagama and Catenary. In April both kilns will be fired for a "hot and glassy" aesthetic. At the end of the workshop, you'll have participated in three firings with three distinct aesthetics.

Receive 5 total cubic feet over 3 firings, including: 

2 cubic feet in reduction-cooled Wood-Soda

3 cubic feet in Anagama/Wood-Soda 

Answer Questions Including: 

-How does the chemistry of wood firing work?

-What levers are available to pull when firing a wood kiln?

-What clay/firing technique aesthetics are available to me?

-What forms work best in a wood kiln and why?

-When soda firing, what application methods are available and why choose them?

-When reduction cooling, what considerations are required?

-What defects may manifest in wood firing and why?

-What's the best way to clean up my pots for show and sale?