Welcome to the opening of the Karma Kiln Summer Guest Artist Firing Series.
 
This is an offering I have wanted to bring to you all since I built the kiln in 2022. The four group firings we've run so far have been incredible experiences and Molly and I are excited to be able to bring Stuart out for this opportunity in July.
 
What to bring:
Using cone 10 clay (I recommend a bright white stoneware or porcelain), bring 15-25 BISQUED pots...of all sizes (nothing wider than 14" or taller than 18" please!). Land closer to the 15 count if you have larger work, 20-25 if you are brining smaller work like lots of cups, little dishes, or single stem vases.
100% UV blocking sunglasses. The kiln produces incredible UV light whenever the stoke door is opened, not to mention the heat. I like cheap gas-station 'wrap around' glasses. They don't need to be polarized...just 100% UV protecting.
Wear natural fiber clothing! No polyester, please.
Kiln gloves if you have a pair you love. We have LOTS on hand as well.
A snack offering for the group - will coordinate more later.
A bathing suit and towel!!! The most incredible swimming hole is a 3min walk down the street from the kiln. It is a SAVIOR if we are firing in the upper 80 degree temp range. Trust me on this one, you want to give Sunburn Beach a whirl. It is d-i-v-i-n-e.
 
What's Included:
ALL the slips, glazes, wadding, cones, spray guns, sponges, brushes, tables, water buckets, etc. We will have about 5 glazes on hand for you to work with and 5 flashing slips that all love the wood-soda atmosphere.
Some food/drinks for the group
Clean up. Yes! You read that correctly. I do all the post firing cleanup, wood prep, and all that jazz. I enjoy it, and, it simply isn't that much time out of my week.
 
Shedule:
Plan to arrive by 10am on FRIDAY, July 19th. If it rains, we might split up the group into two glazing groups. If it's wonderful, we'll all begin together at 10am.
After a brief intro and safety talk, I will run a slipping and glazing demo and then set you free.
Lunch will happen anywhere from 12pm-1:30, after which, we'll finish glazing and wad our pots.
Loading will happen immediately once everything is waded...this is generally around 4pm.
Once the stack is done and the door is up, we will begin candling RIGHT AWAY. We typically do pizza and beers/refreshments (BYO your anything!) with everyone - especially if it's a beautiful summer evening. If you're not on overnight nor early A.M....feel free to hang out as long as you like.
We will candle slowly overnight, building temp into the 1400's by about 6am on Saturday. The evening crew will pass it off to the morning crew and we'll begin to fire it off.
Soda usually happens around 4-5pm, generally. We will 'soak' the kiln post soda for nearly 2hrs...after which, we are done.
The final log generally gets chucked around 7-8pm...but it can depend. We fired to about 11pm during the New England Wood Firing Conference, just for example. But if it's still light out and beautiful, feel free to stick around for the post firing "hang"...which can be quite lovely.
Sunday and Monday are for you to enjoy. If you are taking Stuart's workshop at The Handle Factory, have fun! Otherwise, we will unload at 11am on Tuesday morning, July 23rd.
 
That's the scoop, folks. There will be a flurry of cordination emails once we have the group set, including some good local lodging options, restaraunts, directions, etc. If you have ANY questions, please feel free to email me. My contact info is in the upper right hand menu under the "More" pulldown menu. Hover over the "More" and you'll get my contact info.