What the heck is a kiln? And why do ceramics take so long?

We’ve been cooking up quite the ceramics storm in the studio this summer. Students have created ceramic dolls, gnome homes, bobbleheads, succulent planters, wall hangings and more! It’s a process, and every time pieces come out of the kiln it feels like Christmas morning. The hardest part is waiting ever so patiently for pieces to be returned to their owners. Mostly this is due to the need to thoroughly dry each piece before it heads into the magical ceramic oven known as the kiln. Our clay goes through two firings, a bisque fire and a glaze fire. And since we have been graciously given the opportunity to kiln share with another ceramics teacher (more about that below) things sometimes take a tad longer. But as we tell every student, artists take their time with their work and it’s all a part of the process.

As for my own art making, I started taking a ceramics class last fall at Keri Brye Clay as a way to support my watercolor painting. It has been so rewarding, and I look forward to a dedicated space and time to create each week.