Atmospheric Firing
Atmospheric firing uses wood or soda to make dynamic glazes on pottery. Unlike more controlled firings like electric or gas, pieces are often left unglazed so the ash, flame, and smoke can coat the piece. As the firing progresses, the surface develops from ash constantly hitting the pieces and melting.
I view atmospheric firing as a collaboration between the artist and the kiln. The mark of the flame and melted jewels of ash make every piece unique. Every firing is an adventure and every kiln unloading is a delight!
Oki Doki Studio
Community Arts Center Wallingford
Local Studios
Oki Doki Studio is located upstate New York. A short 20 minute drive from Hudson, this studio is great for beginner atmospheric firers who want an immersive learning environment.
This studio offers workshops with guest artists and instructors for their firings. They have one soda kiln, one train kiln and one anagama kiln. Workshops are released in February. I highly recommend joining their mailing list since they sell out very quickly.
Community Arts Center in Wallingford Pennsylvania hosts community firings for their train kiln. This is a fantastic kiln that gets very hot. I recommend sticking to more refractory white stonewares and porcelains for this firing.
Canton Clay Works
Canton Clay Works is located near Hartford Connecticut and they have noborigama and train kiln that they host community firings for. They have a large glaze selection, a two chamber noborigama (wood and wood/salt), and a train kiln.
Tony Moore Studio
Tony Moore hosts community firings near Cold Spring New York. He has a large angama with a catenary arch kiln attached to the back. Tony also has a wonderful gallery and a collection of sculptures from other artists.
New Prospect Pottery
New Prospect Pottery is located in Pine Bush New York. They host community wood firings in their Donnagama and provide gas and salt firing services regularly.
Peters Valley School of Craft
Peters Valley is located in Layton New Jersey and is one of the closest studios to NYC offering wood firing.
Sugar Maples
Sugar Maples Center of Creative Arts is in Maplecrest, New York. They offer workshops in wood and soda firing.
Where To Purchase Clay
Clay Bodies
Porcelain
Standard 437 Troy Porcelain
Standard 130 Porcelain
Standard 257 English Porcelain
CAC White Rose Porcelain
CAC NZ-10 Porcelain
*Please check with the studio to see what clays they recommend. There are many different types of atmospheric firing and the clay bodies that will be successful will vary from studio to studio.
Dark Stoneware
Starworks Dark Star 10
Sheffield 42
Tucker's Dark Stone
Aardvark Fat Red
White Stoneware
Laguna B Mix 10
Laguna B Mix Wood
Standard 508 Woodfire
Standard 182 Angel White
Sheffield Ben's Mix
Sheffield Wood Lite
Starworks Star White 10
Sculpture Clay
Starworks Grogeewemee
Sheffield T1
Laguna Soldate 30
Ilmenite Granular
Silica Sand
Silica sand can be used to make your clay more textured in an atmospheric firing. Soda reacts with the silica in clays to form richer surface much like an orange peel. Make sure to use larger size silica sand less than 60 mesh as smaller silica will make the clay body dry and hard to vitrify. For extra large silica sand I use Imagitarium aquatic substrate.
Grog
Grog can be used to add structure and texture to the clay body. I like to make my own grog by crushing up clay and firing it to vitrification. This is a great addition for making larger scale work and will help prevent cracks and shrinkage.
Chicken Grit (Granite)
Chicken grit can be added for texture and can create white speckles in a darker clay body. I recommend using smaller chick grit for throwing and the larger chicken grit for hand building. Make sure to use granite chicken grit and not oyster shells.
Clay Additives
Clay additives are a great way to enhance or alter the clay body. Additives can create rich surface depth and texture that interacts with the kiln atmosphere in varying ways. Always check with the studio before adding extra materials into clay as not all studios allow additives. I highly recommend using respirators and gloves as the dry materials can create mess and dust.
IIlmenite is used to make speckles in the clay body. Make clay tests with different amounts of ilmenite to see ensure you get the right amount you want. A little goes a long way. Rutile granular and manganese granular are also good alternatives for speckles.