Wood - Soda - Salt

 This sculptural piece, Fragment, will be exhibited in "Wood Soda Salt", an exhibition of atmospheric fired ceramics, being held at the University of Wyoming Art Museum. This exhibition runs September 3rd through November 29th, 2024. The art museum is located in the Centennial Complex, 2111 E. Willett Drive, Laramie, Wyoming.

First Firing

 The inaugural firing of my small down-draft kiln is now history. Overall it went very well and I was pleased how even it fired from top to bottom, front to back. It required less wood than I had anticipated. Here are some images depicting various stages.

 

The interior of the kiln with shelves stacked and pieces set; a few went onto the top of the side bag walls.

The door being stacked. Lettering/numbering the brick aid in re-stacking the same the next firing.

Cone packs.

       Propane tanks in place, along with the burners, to pre-heat the kiln over night.

Wood stacked for stoking.

Low burner flame overnight.

 

After pre-heating over night, with the interior temperature reaching 270 degrees, I began fires outside of the coal areas. Eventually I was able to start stoking wood into the fireboxes.

 

 

 In-between stokes!