Wood Fired Pottery
Donna has always been drawn toward firing processes that are spontaneous and unpredictable, like Raku, sawdust, and wood-firing. Recently, she has been firing in Talon Smith’s wood kiln and loving it. In a wood firing, the ash from the fire box is carried throughout the kiln by the draught and deposited on the pots, creating a natural glaze with atmospheric effects from the flames and the ash. Wood-firing is a wonderful but fickle process, subjecting the pots to extreme heat and stresses. Some pots are exquisite, others disasters; you are lucky to get even 50% good ones. That makes the good ones even more special. Prayers to the kiln god are in order.
