Next day, we filled Euan’s kiln, but with all the pots we only filled it half way. So, Euan went home to get some more pots. So, this meant that there was not only bisqued ware (already fired one time and changed from clay into stone), but also greenware (clay never fired b ... Continue Reading
Wood-firing is a choice today with all the other possibilities of electric, gas, oil kilns etc. Wood-firing takes a lot of labor for nights and days. People who get into this will do this for the rest of their lives, because the pieces have an extraordinary beauty.Wood firing is ... Continue Reading
This is Furuki-san and his wife, Hiroko-san from the International Tougei Club in Mashiko. Some assistants, who help you and everybody with anything all day long: Kenji-san and Unno-san and Kim-san. x Continue Reading
I am back again in Mashiko preparing for the Fantastic Fire workshop. Rob Muylaert, also a Dutch participant, visited me in Kamakura and together we came earlier to make pots for the firings. This is Rob and Swanica at the wheel at the International Tougei Club from Furuki-san ( ... Continue Reading
Secondly, I feel lucky to be here, because Kusakabe-san and Euan Craig are building their kilns at the moment at Furuki-san’s clay center. I will fire those kilns with Steve Tootell’s workshop in the end of October. So, they have the Mashiko Building Kiln workshop at ... Continue Reading
A noborigama is a multi-chambered climbing kiln built on a slope. Each succeeding chamber is situated higher than the one before it. The chambers in a noborigama are pierced at intervals with stoking ports. Climbing kilns have been used in Japan since the 17th century. The main ... Continue Reading
I got my first 3 wonderful vases “hanaire” out of a noborigama firing fired by the Tokyo Nippon Tougei Club. On this Hanaire the front got a lot of fly ash, natural ash glaze. The effects of the firing on a pot are called “Yohen”: wood-fire effects. Shize ... Continue Reading
My first down draft kiln firing in Lee Love’s kiln. First, we clean the shelves from the former firing, so the shelves will be even and nice. Lee paints the shelves with kiln wash, so, when accidents happen, and pots stick, it will be easier to take of the shelf. Then w ... Continue Reading
