218 B. Wood Firing/ Salt Firing

218 B. Wood Firing/ Salt Firing

Class - Ceramics | This class is completed

750 Marguerite Dr Winston-Salem, NC 27106 United States

Kiln Pavilion

Beginning and Intermediate

9/28/2023-9/30/2023

9:00 AM-9:00 PM EDT on Th Fri Sat

Download iCalendar

$140.00

$126.00

$60.00

This is a Firing Only class. Students will bring 8 - 10 bisque wares made from cone 6 clay to glaze and load on the first day. The kiln will be lit on the second day morning and salt will be introduced into the kiln when the kiln achieves the appropriate temperature.   

This class is only available to students who have taken at least 1 wood fire class at Sawtooth.

Participants will develop an understanding of the unique qualities and processes of using wood to fire ceramics. Students will take an active roll in helping load and fire the kiln. 

Students will explore form, textures, tactile qualities, and surface development of atmospheric firing. During the firings, the draft created by the chimney pulls wood ash and sodium vapors (salt) throughout the kiln chamber. The wood ash and sodium deposited on the pottery in the path of the flame interacting with the silica and other minerals from the clay body creates a varied palette of colors and textures that is difficult to achieve in other types of kiln firing.


Ages: 18 - Adult

  • Students will take an active role in working kiln loading and firing shifts in teams with more experienced students to experience this exciting and unique process.

    Students will learn how to embellish their pieces using slips and glazes formulated for salt firing in a wood fire kiln.

     

  • A $60 material fee for the wood fire glazes, slip, wood, and firing will be added at time of checkout.

Liu, Po Wen

Po Wen is the Director of Ceramics at Sawtooth. He studied ceramic engineering in Taiwan and received his BFA degree in ceramics and ceramics sculpture from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and MFA degree in ceramics from Northern Illinois University.

Po Wen is the manuscript consultant for 2002 Newbery Medal awarded book, A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park, regarding making celadon. A Place of Reflection, by Dr. Elizabeth Perril, an article about Po Wen and his works was featured in Ceramics Monthly.

Po Wen served as the director of The Pottery Workshop Jingdezhen, and executive director of Jingdezhen International Studio from 2015 to 2018 where he oversaw international residency program and facilitated international ceramics events, serving the international ceramics community in China and abroad.

Po Wen has also taught ceramic courses and workshops nationally and internationally including University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Sawtooth School for the Visual Art, Leksands folkhögskola, Leksand, Sweden and the School of Design and Arts, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.