Copy of Introduction to Wood Firing

Service Description

Wood firing is a time honored labor of love. Without an established affection however, the experience can be overshadowed only by the labor. The nature of firing with wood is highly variable and the possibilities are endless. This can be both a blessing and a curse and while the sky is the limit, a careful separation from expectations must be maintained, especially at the onset of one’s wood firing journey. All this being said, the process of wood firing can be daunting and often times have a high bar of entry. Fear not however, as all of that is changing! This introduction to wood fired pottery class is designed to facilitate an all encompassing but low stakes insight to the methodology behind the practice of wood firing. Through a four week making session participants will be encouraged to explore materials and make a wide variety of pots in order to take strides towards results that fit within their vision of what wood fired pottery means to them. At the end of the making session, students will then load and fire the baby train kiln at Sherman Ceramics in Wolfsville, MD. This kiln is a great learning tool given its moderate size and firing duration. The kiln holds roughly 75-100 pots, depending on the size of work and space will be divided evenly between participants. The firing will be on the 5th weekend of the class session and will take roughly 36 hours to load and fire the kiln (Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon). Typically, workshop firings are divided into four hour shifts of two people in order to facilitate an intimate relationship with the firing process and allow maximum learning opportunity for all those involved. After the kiln cools for a few days, we will unload the pots as well as discuss results and formulate ideas for future exploration in the wood firing realm. The goal of this class is to leave students feeling empowered by the process of wood firing; excited both in the successes and failures of their pots, as often the most potent ideas arise from those that fell just short.

Cancellation Policy

Due to the limited class size and high demand cancellations and rescheduling must be completed five days in advance to be eligible for a refund.

Contact Details

• 1441 West Washington Street, Bolivar, WV, USA

  (240) 315 - 6846

  wssclassinfo@gmail.com