GALLERY
ABOUT THE ARTIST
BIOGRAPHY
RESUME
ARTIST STATEMENT
FIRING
LINKS
CONTACT BECCA
in the large downdraft
car kiln pictured here.
The "car" is on
narrow-gauge railroad
tracks (below, at right)
and rolls in and out of
the studio . . . a very
unique feature,
designed and built by
my predecessor, potter
Donald Blue!
Made of
high-temperature
insulating brick, the
kiln can hold 150-200
pots at a time
depending on their size
and the stacking
configuration.
Fueled by propane, the
temperature inside the
kiln reaches 2380
degrees Fahrenheit over
a period of 18-24 hours.
This atmosphere of
extreme heat is
intentionally deprived
of oxygen, causing the
glazes to melt and the
clay to vitrify. The
kiln then cools for a
day and a half before I
can finally open it to
see the results!
fueled by wood. I enjoy the way in which the surfaces I set up
interact with the flame and ash deposits. I recently fired a
twenty-four foot long Japanese-style kiln called an anagama with
potter Jody Johnstone in Belfast, Maine. The entire process spanned
a period of fourteen days, eight of which were devoted to stoking a
fire peaking at over 2300 degrees Fahrenheit. An anagama can hold
up to 1000 pots, but each has an intense sense of individuality; the
specific location of the piece during the firing can dramatically
effect the final results.
The art of pottery and these firing processes can yield both
delightful surprise and disappointment, but the unpredictability of
the results is fuel for continuing to create and to learn about clay
and ultimately, about one's self.
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