Life has been a lot of fun since Anagama work has started.
In march when I got back from Shigaraki, Japan; I was totally taken over by the intense work that happens in the medium of Ceramic. Of course it is quite varied.
On one hand I am attracted towards the crystalline glazes, on porcelain clay body fired in an electric kiln.To fire an electric kiln one has to set the program and then one can go off to sleep. As the temperature in the chamber increases and decreases according to the data fed in. The chamber is lined with kiln fiber and electric coils that generates the heat in the chamber.
On the other hand I love the intense work at wood-firing. And the lusturous pots that come out with beautiful ash deposits, whether it is a 14cft wood-firing kiln or 200cft!! and especially in an Anagama (cave kiln as named in Japan) in which the wood burns right next to the pots and some times on top of them as well, gives nice effects(kiln tears, glossy ash deposit that may vary in colour because of the application of materials underneath, variation with different layers of crust and actually too many to list down here with the limited vocabulary).Firing a wood kiln means that, to increase temperature we use wood as the fuel. And untill date we dont have a mechanical device to feed wood into the fire box for firing! hahaha. So, one has to be there through out the time of the firing to feed wood. If the firing is more than 16 hours.. as is in the case of a kiln 200cft size(anagama at GBP) we make 12 hour shifts to fire(feed wood into the firebox, or what we may call fire the kiln).
Anyway.... I had an itch to fire an Anagama since I was back from Japan, and the time has come and I am extremely excited about it!!!
We start firing tomorrow evening...........
My friend and collegue has uploaded pics and blog that has most of the happening untill today @ claydiary.blogpot.com
Now she is going to be on day shift and I will be on night shift... so you may visit both the blogs to see the pics of night and day firing!!!!! Anagama'09
In march when I got back from Shigaraki, Japan; I was totally taken over by the intense work that happens in the medium of Ceramic. Of course it is quite varied.
On one hand I am attracted towards the crystalline glazes, on porcelain clay body fired in an electric kiln.To fire an electric kiln one has to set the program and then one can go off to sleep. As the temperature in the chamber increases and decreases according to the data fed in. The chamber is lined with kiln fiber and electric coils that generates the heat in the chamber.
On the other hand I love the intense work at wood-firing. And the lusturous pots that come out with beautiful ash deposits, whether it is a 14cft wood-firing kiln or 200cft!! and especially in an Anagama (cave kiln as named in Japan) in which the wood burns right next to the pots and some times on top of them as well, gives nice effects(kiln tears, glossy ash deposit that may vary in colour because of the application of materials underneath, variation with different layers of crust and actually too many to list down here with the limited vocabulary).Firing a wood kiln means that, to increase temperature we use wood as the fuel. And untill date we dont have a mechanical device to feed wood into the fire box for firing! hahaha. So, one has to be there through out the time of the firing to feed wood. If the firing is more than 16 hours.. as is in the case of a kiln 200cft size(anagama at GBP) we make 12 hour shifts to fire(feed wood into the firebox, or what we may call fire the kiln).
Anyway.... I had an itch to fire an Anagama since I was back from Japan, and the time has come and I am extremely excited about it!!!
We start firing tomorrow evening...........
My friend and collegue has uploaded pics and blog that has most of the happening untill today @ claydiary.blogpot.com
Now she is going to be on day shift and I will be on night shift... so you may visit both the blogs to see the pics of night and day firing!!!!! Anagama'09
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