Glazing and Soda Firing Workshop with Mike Stumbras
The soda firing process can often appear to be as technically complex as the results are beautiful. Crucial to learning to easily incorporate difficult firing practices into your artistic repertoire involves participating in the firing process directly. In this workshop, students will learn about and participate in the firing of a Cone 10 reduction soda kiln. Mike will speak about strategies for glazing and preparing work for soda, as well as the many possible methods of influencing the atmosphere inside the kiln during firing. While the work heats up, Mike will talk about some of the considerations involved with making decisions in raw clay that can help take advantage of the effects of atmospheric firing — including wheel throwing, slip trailing, and water etching.
Students should come prepared with some bisque ware* for glazing at the start of the workshop. Any clay body works well, but lots of the discussion will focus on porcelain.
*If your work will be bisque fired at KC Clay Guild, it should be on the greenware shelves and nearly dry by 11/7/20. You don't need to pay for these pieces to be fired, just leave a note with them that says they are for the Glazing and Soda Firing Workshop.
If you are making work for this workshop at KC Clay Guild, you will need to do so during Open Studio. You can register and pay online (click here).
Schedule:
11/14/20
Students arrive at 2pm Glazing demo, including layering sprayed glazes, dipping glazes, resisting, and flashing slip considerations for soda firing. In the afternoon, loading and candling the kiln. Finish loading before 8:pm
11/15/20
Mike arrives around 6-7am to bump kiln. Students arrive around 10:00 Am. In the morning, we will talk about soda firing considerations. Spraying equipment, reduction firing troubleshooting and considerations. Afternoon, wet work demos for dimensional processes — throwing, hand building, slip trailing and water etching. Evening, Soda spraying demo and participation between 7-8pm.
11/21/20
10am-1pm Unloading, and critique of work. Cleanup considerations.
Exact schedule to be discussed. Some prep work like making wadding will be required.
