Mastering Kilns and Firing

Learn the key techniques, tips, and tricks for pit, barrel, raku, and wood firing.Fall in love with flames, wood, and the effect that unique firing methods have on pottery. Move beyond the electric kiln and explore the dramatic surfaces of raku, the flashes of salt firing, and the rustic look of ash rivulets. In this book, Lindsay Oesterritter provides a crash course in the most accessible methods of alternative firing.Raku firing requires minimal equipment and can easily be fueled with a standard propane tank. Likewise, pit and barrel firing do not require much in the way of initial investment. Yet all these techniques provide an immediate glimpse into the magic of firing. Bright reds and blues, dramatic black and white crackle, even metallic luster are instantly possible. For more experienced potters and studios looking to offer more, Oesterritter also explores wood-fired kilns. Drawing on years of experience and extensive interviews with fellow wood-fire potters, there is no comparable resource on the market.Features on top potters working today get to the heart of specialty techniques and asides show firing variations and traditional kilns in different cultures around the world. A gallery of showstopping work from a diverse group of artists round out the package and inspire you to get started.The Mastering Ceramics series is for artists who never stop learning. With compelling projects, expert insight, step-by-step photos, and galleries of work from today's top artists, these books are the perfect studio companions. Also available from the series: Mastering Hand Building and Mastering the Potter's Wheel.

Accessible and readable, this book brings clarity and refreshing insight into the often-cumbersome process of wood- and alternative-firings. It is well organized and richly illustrated, covering all the bases.

Auteur

Lindsay Oesterritter is the director of Objective Clay, co-founder and organizer of National Clay Week, and a full-time studio potter. Lindsay earned her MFA from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, held the position of Assistant Professor of Ceramics at Western Kentucky University (2009–2015), and earned Associate Professor in 2015. Lindsay was a resident artist at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg and in Australia at Strathnairn Arts Association. She lectures and exhibits nationally and internationally, most frequently on wood firing techniques and kiln construction/design, and is continually inspired by the craft community. View her work and workshop schedule at: loceramics.com

Texte du rabat

Oesterritter provides a crash course in the most accessible methods of alternative firing, detailing key techniques, tips, and tricks. "This text should be a staple of any clay worker's library."--Elenor Wilson, editor, Studio Potter Journal*al

Résumé
Mastering Kilns and Firing is an all-in-one resource for potters looking to go beyond the electric kiln.

Contenu

Foreword
Introduction
 

1. GETTING STARTED
   Basic Safety
   Clay 15
   Cone Packs
   Cleaning
   Wood Storage & Sourcing
    
2. KILN FUNDAMENTALS
   Kiln Anatomy
   Kiln Material Considerations
   Flame Path
   Personal Considerations
    
3. RAKU
   Making Work for Raku
   Preparing Work for Raku
   The Reduction Chamber & Combustibles
   Kiln Design & Firing Techniques
   Firing
   Gallery
    
4. PIT & BARREL
   Making Work for Pit Firing
   Preparing Work for Pit Firing
   Loading the Kiln
   Kiln Design
   Firing
   Gallery
    
5. WOOD FIRING
   Making Work for Wood Firing
   Wadding
   Loading a Kiln
   Firing
   Common Questions & Concerns
   Unloading & Evaluating a Firing
   Gallery
    
6. FURTHER EXPLORATIONS
   Fuel Source
   Framework
   Firing Variations
   Fire as Performance
   Gallery
    
   Recipes
   Acknowledgments
   About the Author
   Index