Winter Solstice firing

Just one day away from loading the kiln for our Winter Solstice firing. We are loading on Sat. so I can watch the Packers on Sunday. I'm excited about the little crew I put together for this firing. Several MHCC students and workstudies that are getting the wood-fire bug and a new OPA member that I met at our Food Bank volunteer day. I'm going to test out a couple different Shinos and a few different stoneware bodies. Of course I'll be putting plenty of Dakota Yellow pieces in.

So today is about finishing up my glazing and making my Chicken Pot Pie cone packs. Better get crackin'.

Sisser's donuts

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since October. Where does the time go? I've been working hard on the planning of OPA's Ceramic Showcase which opens April 30, 2010. Mark your calenders because it's a show you don't want to miss. I also work at MHCC in the ceramic department and that keeps me busy. I'm working on gathering a nice group of students to fire our little anagama in February. It's always fun to get a few new students excited about the process. I'm firing the Chicken Pot Pie the 21st. So much to do to get ready and the weather is an icky 20°. I hope this cold snap...snaps and we can get back to realistic temperatures. I don't live in Wisconsin for a good reason.

Speaking of Wisconsin...my good friend and clay mentor, Treatzi Dall, sent me a beautiful story written by her youngest girl and she said it was OK to share it with others. It's a nice story so I'm going to share it here. I know her kids and they are a fantastic family and have all turned out well. They love each other so much. It's a beautiful thing.

I went to the grocery store today and my thoughts wandered to my sister as the most often do. To begin, I am married to a wonderful man who has serves his life to the greatest of his abilities as a soldier in the United States Army. I have an amazing husband who supports me unconditionally precisely as who I am and I am so thankful for that. We reside in Germany currently and as much as I really do love it here, the one thing that pulls at my heart the most is being away from my sister, or as I call her, "Sisser". I have never been one to have many friends, nor is it a strength of mine to really grasp onto a group of people. There is just something about a sister, My Sisser that no one will ever fill.
As mentioned earlier, I went to the grocery store today to grab just a few staple items; eggs, water, bread, etc. and found myself feeling so lonely for My Sisser. What sparked the thought of her was simply a donut. I was eying all of the tasty treats in front of me and after choosing one to drop off for Troy, my husband, I was next deciding which one I would like most for myself. As I stood staring at all of the lovely bakery, my head began to swell with the rich smell of sweet treats. It was then that I could feel myself shrinking back to being just a four-year-old standing next to my big, seven-year-old, sister in one of Rhinelander, Wisconsin's oldest traditions of Bernie's Bakery.
The few days that Mom and Dad would take us to the bakery, I remember being flooded with excitement. Upon arriving created a feeling of being overwhelmed with all of the sugary options layed out in near-perfect displays for us to admire. With our family lined up, I can fully remember looking at My Sisser and thinking, "Wow, she's so pretty with her dark curly hair. I wish I had freckles like her too." However small the the thought might be now, a person can imagine what a compliment like that meant coming from such a young girl. (As some of you may recall, I had stick-straight hair when I was young and My Sisser always had nice dark wavy hair. To this day, I have just one single freckle on my nose.)
I recall that it was snowing and as cold as it likely was outside, the warmth of the bakery combined with the wonderful cookie scent gave a feeling of being hugged by a giant marshmallow. Mom was holding Aaron who was all bundled up in a yellow snowsuit. It was keeping him so snuggled that he could barely move. He, being just a baby, appeared to care-less about being at this wonderful place. I became baffled by this thought. Andrew was all excited and had his face pressed on the display window. (As most kids would behave in house full of all the unhealthy wonderful things that most six-year-olds imagine they should be able to live on.) Dad stood silently behind us until he, carefully, reached out and grasped Andrew's shoulder with his big daddy hand and pulled him back from the glass. My Sisser stood carefully examining all of the treats in front of us. I remember she looked as though she was contemplating World Peace. My Sisser has always been one to stay focused on being certain to choose and do the "right thing"....even when it came to choosing a donut.
Eventually, My Sisser stepped forward with much more maturity then I had ever seen in a seven-year-old. She looked at the clerk and stated, "I'll have the sugar-covered, strawberry, jelly-filled one, please.", all the while, carefully pointing her thin finger precisely at the one she desired. It was then that I, too, stepped up to the counter. The kind lady with fluffy brown hair looked at me and asked what I would like. I did not say a word. I looked up at her and then fixated my eyes on my chosen donut....the one right next to My Sisser's; the exact same choice she had made.
As young as I was, I may not have known exactly what the definition of "admiration" was, but I certainly understood it. I knew, even as a four-year-old, that I loved My Sisser more then one could imagine and, somehow, I wanted to be just like her when I grew up.....even if it meant it would take me a mere three years to get there. I realized, even then, that Sisser always made the correct choices. Funny thing is, to this day, I love the sugar-covered, strawberry, jelly-filled donut choice and, yet, that morning, what I really wanted was the sprinkled cake donut.
To those of you who don't know, "My Sisser", is the eldest Dall child, Abbey. Next comes Andrew, then myself and finally Aaron. Though we are all grown now, we hold a bond that cannot be explained. We lean on each other every fraction of the day whether we are in complete awareness of it or not. Those of you with siblings, I am sure know that power. Abbey is always available for me. She has seen me through some of my darkest moments and stood by me through my happiest. My throat becomes tight when I think of the beauty she brings into my life. Abbey is surely one of the most selfless people I know. She is an amazing mother, daughter, sister and friend. She keeps me focused and thankful for the wonderment I have in life. Family is the greatest gift given to us and I ask that everyone pass this simple story to others. It is my hope that yourself as well as the people in your lives are able to reach into their deepest memories and pull out what events and people they should be thankful for most. Happy Holidays, Everyone!
Blessings, Ashley

Mahonia Hall

For the next year a few pieces of my art and 7 other potters work will be displayed in the dinning room of the Oregon Governor's mansion, Mahonia Hall in Salem, OR. Mary Lou, of Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, coordinated the display. It was an exciting day for me and an honor to have some of my pottery displayed at this venue. I think they do tours on Fridays in the summer, but so far I haven't been able to find that information. I want to take my mom there when she visits next year.

Group Photo: This photo includes the outgoing displayed artists Mindy Chaffin and Mel Perrigo
Second Photo: Mark Heimann, Kenneth Standhardt, Leslie Green and Bev Curtis
Third Photo: Linda Heisserman, Brenda Scott and Dawn Panttaja. Brian Jones could not join us.

Stoked about wedding

Ceramics built a friendship that continues to grow. I was honored to be the Maid of Honor and host for Sarah Chenoweth's wedding on September 13, 2009. Sarah married Brian Davis in a beautiful ceremony in our cedar grove and reception on our farm near our garden. It was a beautiful day to remember. Sarah and I became friends because of clay so of course I asked her to have a little fun with me in my kiln barn since we were all dressed up. Here's a shot of us having fun pretending to stoke the kiln with the new line of Carhart's evening ware.

Soda A la carte

This is the first video I've ever tried to upload. I'm a bit behind the technology ball. The subject is a portable soda kiln. Yes, a kiln on wheels. It was brought to MHCC in the back of a truck and we wheeled it down a couple 2x4's. It was built and demonstrated by Nick Geankopolos. In the video my friends Jennifer and Jack are introducing the soda mixture, which we got from the Gail Nichols book Soda, Clay and Fire.

Check out the flames shooting out of the mini stack and the door. Fun Stuff!

One of a kind

With wood-fire no two pots are the same. So today I thought I would take a minute to blog about some of the features of wood-fired pots. The fire is said to PAINT the pots you put in the kiln. It licks the surfaces and kisses them with ash. The ash melts and creates glaze and sometimes jewels. The pictures here illustrate some of the prizes from a wood kiln. You will see crusty surfaces, smooth ash drips, crystal formations, super glossy surfaces from melted ash, flashing and blushing of the clay body. The surfaces you see here have no glaze just melted ash. When we fire with wood we are giving up a lot of control. This can be a turn off to some potters. There is usually loss due to cracking, two pots being fused together because one fell over during the firing, it was in a cool spot of the kiln and didn't get much action or maybe it got way too much action. But there are always those few pieces that sing to me and convince me to keep firing this way.

I encourage you to look very close at the surfaces of the ceramics you choose to use everyday. Don't just fill the cup with coffee and mindlessly drink. Feel the rim against your lip. The handle against your fingers. Scan the surface with your eyes and fingers while you are enjoying that richly roasted brew. Fill your senses. This goes for your favorite cereal bowl or dinner plate too.

What a summer it has been

and it's not over yet. I have to admit I should be in the studio right now making pieces for the fall wood firings, but my main focus this summer has been my garden. This summers garden could only be described as abundant. It's been amazing and I've learned so much. We had a great snow pea and snap pea crop and I was able to put lots in the the freezer for winter stir fries. The summer squash is getting a bit old and after about 101 different recipes I'm ready to just let them grow and see how big we can get those last ones to be. Of course they will be composted at the end of the summer so they will not be wasted. We are currently enjoying egg plant, swiss chard, all sorts of peppers, fennel flowers, beets, cucumbers, onions, beans and of course tomatoes. I'm about to try my hand at pickles...I have about 40lbs of cucumbers so I better learn fast.

I will get in the studio soon, but for now it's still garden time. I hope your summer is abundant as well.

Got to get in the studio

I don't even remember the last time I actually touched clay. Pretty sad, but it's the garden that is keeping me out of the studio so I don't feel as bad. The plans right now are to take a little vacation to Alaska and clear the mind coming back with a new found energy and inspirations. The fall will come fast and I better have some stuff to fill that kiln. Next on the list is the Gresham Art Walk July 18th. Sarah Chenoweth, Carla McHattie and myself will be representing MHCC and all that is good about our wonderful Visual Arts Depart.

It's been awhile

Wow, it's been too long since I've had a chance to post a little something. With spring here and the birds singing, flowers and trees blooming and spending lots of time in the garden I haven't had much time to sit in front of the computer. Gosh, what a concept...NOT sitting in front of the computer. We are going to Leach Gardens today. More beautiful inspiration. I also want to point out the Oregon Potters Association's Flicker site. Check it out...so much talent in the Pacific Northwest. Remember to consider handcrafted gifts the next time you are looking for that special something.

Ceramic Showcase is over and Mom has arrived. A small group of us set up the show for Friday...Stephen Mickey and the Soulbuds at MHCC Visual Arts Gallery. It looks great. Lots of amazing work and I'm so honored to be in the same room with all this talent. I think I'm still a bit tired from the Showcase weekend. During Ceramic Showcase I sucked it up and got some professional shots of some of my work. Above is one of the pieces. It was from my last firing at Soulgama in Brush Prairie, WA. I got some nice ash drips and crystals. Hope you can make it to the show.

Just a week away

We are getting down to the wire and there are hundreds of potters in Oregon and Southwest WA that are scrambling around getting all their pots, garden art, sculptures ready for the largest ALL ceramic show in the US. Next Wednesday we will descend on the Oregon Convention Center and start setting up the show. It's organized chaos and Friday morning we open the doors to the public and hope they like what we do. Here's our add in the Willamette Week.

On that note...I'm going to take my dog Duke for a walk up our hill, breath deep and stretch. Then I'll come home and do what I've been doing for what seems like months...get ready for Ceramic Showcase.

Namaste,

Ceramic Showcase hitting the Roads

Well Look at That!!! Ceramic Showcase is hitting the roads to get the word out about the largest all ceramic show in the United States. Thank you Trimet. Which by the way is a great way to get to the show. The MAX stops right in front of the Oregon Convention Center.

Opened my Chicken Pot Pie kiln last night and once again got some nice results. We got come 12 down all over at 03:30 so we just went another hour and shut down at 16 hours. This was shorter then the other firings and we wanted to see the difference. I think it was just fine, not much a difference and got a whole bunch of salting effects, orange peel, and we didn't put any salt in the kiln. Strange, but they looked good so who cares.

Now, I'll head to Vancouver, WA and open the Soulgama kiln with the SoulBuds and see what pretty things we made there...so excited. Ted Ernst, Sandy Segna and Robin Hominiuk all fired last weekend at other kilns besides Soulgama too. We are all just bursting with ceramic energy.

Soulgama and a Happy Birthday

Another fantastic firing at Soulgama. Stephen Mickey always gathers a fantastic group of potters and this firing was no exception. The crew is an amazing community or maybe more of a family. We work together to load the kiln and fire it, but we laugh together, eat, drink, and maybe even share a few tears. One crew member described a feeling of Loving Kindness. Yes, it sure was that. Of course attention is placed on our work and the kiln, but there is so much more going on and I'm honored to be a part of it all.

My dear friend Sarah arranged cake and festivities for Sat. night since it was my 38th birthday. Maybe the best birthday ever. They sang me birthday wishes and Sarah made a marvelous chocolate cake. So much love and fun. I can't tell you how much I was touched and grateful to be surrounded by such a grand group of people. Thank you all soooooo much. In two weeks we will meet again and open the kiln and see what magic we created. Can't wait.

Pictured: Stephen Mickey, Jack Walsh, Ron Linn, Natalie Warrens. Brenda Scott feeding the fire. A sea of pots during loading, and a nice shot of Stephen Mickey laughing.

Lessons Learned

One of the things I love about ceramics is that you can never stop learning. You could dedicate your life to the process and you will never master it all. This can also be frustrating at times. For the most part the ceramic community is loaded with people who are willing to share their knowledge, time, experience, triumphs and even failures. I guess I have a failure to share with you today, but I'm passing this information on so you don't make the same mistake.

REFRACTORY BRICK...it's not created equal. I purchased 600 hard brick on craigslist.com a few years ago. Good brick, but not for my application. It's brick for a glass kiln, which I didn't have a clue, nor did any of my friends, that it's made for very high temperatures, but not the changes in temps we potters put it through. We made my grate, posts and a couple walls out of this brick and during the first firing the grate started to break up. Of course I was as stressed as could be because the posts were cut from this brick that was falling apart. We thought maybe we didn't leave enough slop between bricks and the expansion destroyed them so we made the grate the same for the second firing, except we left lots of slop for the bricks to expand and move. Well, they fell apart again. The back wall of the fire box has a few cracks, but we think because they are under compression they are holding up. The posts didn't crack either, thankfully.

Since this second grate fell apart so bad I felt I needed to start asking around and see if anyone had some answers. Stephen Mickey didn't know, but suggested I try Jack Troy. Jack is brilliant and answered my call for help with a wonderful explanation. As I said earlier glass kilns are brought up VERY slow and held at a constant temp and their brick has a lot of silica. So now I have new garden brick. Of course I won't be using the posts we cut anymore and we'll have to figure out some sort of covering to protect the one wall that gets heat. Lesson learned.

Pictured are some of the wonderful results from firing #2. Bowls with wonderful shino glazes and soap dishes.

Firing Number Two

We had our second firing and it went smooth. We are still having issues with these weird bricks I got cheap and we used for the grate, but we will replace the gate again and we should be in good shape. Eric rigged up some hardy board with kao wool to insulate the kiln walls and part of the door and it really did the trick. We got come 12 flat on top and bottom in the front and 10 flat in the back. I wadded a few bottle forms across the fire entrance toward the back and I think it slowed things down a bit back there, but we still had good results. The kiln cooled much slower then last time, again Eric's insulating panels really worked. The kiln isn't as cool looking, but firing efficiency is far more important. We opened it yesterday and we had lots of happy results. I would have a few pictures of results, but our memory card decided to have problems so I'll have to retake a few shots of the results.
-happy firing

The pictures show very tired potters, stokers, and the different sides of the kiln with the new panels.

Where does time go?

I wanted to get some more shots of the last firing results and maybe shots of what happened to the grate, but time keeps slipping away from me. We actually had some nice weather today so we spent it transplanting roses. Eric and I also celebrated our 4 year anniversary recently so we of course didn't get anything done then. We are planning our next firing in late Feb so I've been making pots, which is what I should be doing right? I'm also working on some changes to my Ceramic Showcase booth and taking pictures for a clay interpretive display at the show. This is a picture of one of my casseroles with beer bread in it...yum!

Empires and Hos

The first firing of the Chicken Pot Pie Phoenix style fast fire kiln has happened and in a few hours we will open it up and see the results. I loaded it on Tuesday the 30th and learned a few things right off the bat. First, I need to order more shelves. Bricking up the door went just fine. Eric imagined it taking hours. Eric was having a hard time handing his creation into the hands of a bunch of potters, but he was able to work through it and say goodbye, sort of, it's not like he won't be the number one maintenance man for the Pie from now on.

Sarah, Brian, Eric and I met at the kiln at noon on the 31st and I dedicated the firing to my cousin Teri. She is battling breast cancer and started radiation this past week. Although she is in the struggle of her life and enduring pain, stress and obstacles that would kill most people, she is fighting like a soldier and keeping her mural up like you would not believe. I hope she could feel the love and strength we were trying to send to her that night.

I threw some salt to purify the kiln and area, read some quotes about Salt, Gratitude, Nature and Fire. We blessed the kiln with home brew that Brian and Sarah made, toasted to a good firing and lit it up with an egg carton. About a half hour after we lit the fire UPS showed up with the pyrometer. Eric refit the peep holes to accommodate and away we went. Good timing, although we had expected to do it without.

From then on it was pretty easy, almost like a vacation. We sat around stoking the fire, playing with it, chatting, watching the embers build. Much more laid back then an anagama firing. I will admit I was so stressed the whole time, while still having fun. The emotions from having my dear cousin on my mind just added to my near tears also. I was not expecting the emotions that would run through me firing it for the first time. So many unknowns and it's mine, not another potter's who has fired it dozens of times and knows just what to expect.

All in all it went really well. We reached reduction after dark like we had hoped so the neighbors would not be freaked out by the black smoke. I left it in the hands of Eric and Skye, one nonpotter and one that hasn't fired much, to take a nap at 3 am. I came back after a few hours and it was still standing, but the door was moving. Eric fixed that and we moved on, with me very tired and and emotion bag of whim. Sarah joined us again at 6 and Eric went for his own nap a little while later. We stoked and worked out different strategies to keep the flame in the stack, again so the people waking in the valley below us don't freak and call about a chimney fire. We played around with dampers and blocking the embers in the grate to build them up and figured out stoking patterns to control the temp a little more. The floor is cooler and we'll learn how to adjust that, but we got 12 soft on one pack and 11 and 10 soft on two others. Early in the firing the grate bricks started to split and I was really worried since I used the same bricks as kiln posts. After many hours of stressing over why Eric realized what was happening. We didn't leave enough slop in between the grate bricks for expansion. They were falling apart the whole time, but actually stayed upright. We will replace them and try it again, with slop of course. We shut down at 23 hours. This seems long, but we didn't candle it and it was 40 degrees when we started and went really slow at the beginning so that added to the length.

I'll let you know what the results are after today's opening.
-B

P.S. the door was built with Empire S and IdaHO bricks.