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.
