Feature Artist, Third Friday Artwalk

I was able to retrieve a few pieces from Sid Luck's kiln firing last weekend. The results were splendid, I was especially happy with how the Danish White clay turned out.

A few pieces from Sid Luck's firing

The results of a clay called Danish White, which is a clay I enjoy a lot

I had the opportunity to be the feature artist at the 3rd Friday ArtWalk at the Arts Incubator in Siler City yesterday. I set up a small collection of pieces, and will be adding more in the coming week.

My display at the North Carolina Arts Incubator

There was a steady crowd for the whole evening, and Sue Baker, a sculptor at the Incubator, did a live demonstration, working with a live model. The model was painter and ceramic artist Ricky Lindley's daughter. People were really excited to see the demonstration.

Sculptor Sue Baker drew quite a crowd for the basement of the Incubator!

Sue Baker modelling Ricky Lindley's daughter


Joseph Sand is going to start opening his kiln tomorrow, so I will try to post some photos for a Thanksgiving treat! And, if you're near Siler City, stop in and have a look at my pottery and let me know what you think!

Double Kiln Duty

I am exhausted, so I will keep this short. I wanted to share my adventure of helping with two kilns this weekend! It was great to not only get a few pots fired, but also to experience two very different kiln styles. On Saturday I helped Sid Luck with the last half of his kiln firing. Today I helped Joseph Sand with the last part of his kiln firing (well, the last 8 or 9 hours!). At Sid's numerous people help out with the stoking. At Joseph's today, I stood pretty much in front of the toasty 2350 degree front opening where I was stoking.

My "residence" today at Joseph Sand's

Levi Mahan and several other local potters helped with stoking the side ports

It was really great to have the experience of keeping a close eye on the temperature and gaining and understanding of when to stoke, how much to stoke, and how much wood to use. On the mention of temperature, Joseph uses pyrometers! I'm a big fan of knowing the temperature of a kiln, so it was great to see the kiln hooked up in several places.

Pyrometers on top of Joseph Sand's kiln

Both Sid and Joseph salt their kilns with leaf blowers. Sid only uses the leaf blower in the front half of the kiln and puts a few cupfuls of salt into the ports on top of the kiln. Joseph uses the leaf blower in the front and down the ports on either side of the kilns.

Sid Luck and his son, Jason, salting on the left, and Joseph Sand salting on the right

I am deeply grateful to both of these potters for giving me the opportunity to help fire their kilns. Here is hoping all turns out well. I will post the results later this week!

One of my mugs in the center of the photo in Sid Luck's kiln on the front bag wall

One of Joseph's jars during the crash cool

Sid Luck sitting on the swing under the kiln shelter at Luck's Ware

Toasting to the Kilns

A toast to the kiln firings this weekend! I'm excited to participate in firing Joseph Sand and Sid Luck's wood kilns this weekend. I will post the results when the kilns are opened next week!

Toasting with bisque ware!

Getting all Fired Up!

Several weeks ago (I've been a delinquent blogger) I had the honor of participating in the kiln firing of Sid Luck at Luck's Ware in Seagrove. Sid Luck is a fifth generation potter, firing with a traditional "groundhog" kiln and making more traditional forms and ware. Charles Zug in his publication, Turners and Burners, compares the "groundhog" kiln to the German-style Cassel kilns and kilns which were made in Newcastle England (chapter on Burning, page 224 for a diagram). The sides of the kiln are surrounded by soil, with the top arch, chimney, and front opening above ground.

Sid Luck's "groundhog" style kiln

Sid Luck's kiln has been modified on the interior distinguishing it from a more traditional "groundhog" kiln. Sid, like Vernon Owen at Jugtown Pottery, installed a series of levels on the interior of the kiln, making deep (about 4' back, 2-3' up) steps that rise toward the back of the kiln. Traditionally, "groundhog" kilns were basically an open rectangle, but as Sid told me, this design was uneven and not as efficient. Sid said, "you could fire earthenware in the back of the kiln and stoneware in the front." I suppose for potters historically, maybe that worked for them since some made both stoneware and earthenware, but I imagine that is also why so many archaeological kilns sites have wasters!
On Monday the bisque ware was prepared, wadding was made, last-minute glazing was done, and the kiln was cleaned out. One thing I noted was how little the kiln holds with the modification of the interior. Below is an image of the back of the kiln while Sid was cleaning the ceiling and as it was being loaded. I would estimate that there were less than 200 pieces in the kiln.

I had the opportunity to help salt the kiln when it came time. I think this largely had to do with the fact that I was one of the few people there who brought a long-sleeve shirt! Either way, it was great. Sid uses a leaf blower in order to distribute the salt through the front opening of the kiln. Potters are very inventive creatures, and Sid's design for the salting leaf blower was attaching an old metal drain pipe to the end, with a small opening on top into which we put a funnel. The leaf blower was turned on, salt loaded into the funnel, and with the door partially opened, the leaf blower made for a serious dousing of salt. Several cupfuls of salt were put into the top ports of the kiln as well.

Brenda helping Sid salt the kiln

Sid Luck and his son, Matt, salting the kiln on the left and another of Sid and Brenda salting the kiln

I have seen another potter administering salt with a leaf blower before. And while at Berea I tried several different methods including small "burritos" of salt in a brown bag tossed in, and a piece of angle-iron on a pole to dump the salt in. I have contemplated whether a leaf blower is actually administering the salt any better than just pouring the salt into the top ports of the kiln, or into the side ports.
The firing went well. Sid kindled a fire overnight, and began the bigger fire at about 5:00 Tuesday morning. The salting began around 6:00 p.m., and the firing was basically done by 7:00. I did not get to see it, but Sid told me that at the end of the firing, many potters (including him) do what is called "blasting off" where they take large chunks of wood (he uses roots of heart pine) and toss them in at the end for one final push of heat and ash.

Several shots of the interior of the kiln while the front door was open for loading wood

I arrived to the opening on the following Saturday a little late to see the door opened and the initial pieces drawn out. That was no matter, the pieces which I saw coming out looked good. I was more fascinated by the concept of the kiln opening, and the throng of people who waited to snatch up a piece they liked as it came out. I believe Sid sold everything out of the kiln before it ever made it into the shop! Some day, maybe I will have that much luck selling my ware!

Kiln opening at Luck's Ware

I am currently registered to participate in a wood-firing in October with a kiln similar to a "groundhog" kiln, without the interior modifications. I will keep you posted!

A lone little pig made by another potter who participated in the firing which became adhered to the floor of the kiln!