Kilns and Casting

I have spent the remainder of the school week learning the process of firing gas kilns. There is a total of four gas Kilns at New Paltz, two indoor and two outdoor kilns. Currently only three of the four are up and running. In fact there is a working kiln shortage at the moment. With a total of eight electric kilns, there are only three that are in working order. This is quite a serious issue for the studio, especially for BFA and MFA students who typically are expected to fire their own work, and are now subjected to group firings. This shortage will have the greatest effect on the four BFA students who will be graduating this fall.

Although the kiln shortage is unfortunate, it can not stifle my excitement for learning how to fire. Firings can take up to 15 hours, but are typically closer to 8-10 hours. The temperature of the kiln (as read by the pyrometer) must be checked and recorded every half hour. The cones that are placed in front of the spy holes are a more accurate reading of the temperature. Two cone packs are placed in the kiln, one on the top and one on the bottom. This helps asses wether the kiln is firing evenly. Firing a gas kiln requires more interaction in terms of tinkering and adjusting to achieve temperature and the desired atmosphere, than does an electric kiln, which you can basically set to a program and leave it be (although it should always be monitored!).

Apart from firing kilns I have been slip casting modular units. In clay, I built four pieces that are meant to connect post firing as weeping willow whisps. I designed each branch so that they are interchangeable, allowing the curve of each branch to travel from right to left and left to right. The third and fourth components are willow leaves.

This is the first time I have used slip casting to create a sculpture. This particular sculpture will be displayed as a wall piece, a cascade of weeping willow whisps.

This weekend will be spent loading, firing, and unloading kilns. This includes two bisques and one mid range glaze firing. In conjunction with the firings I will be slip casting and creating a press mold for a commissioned work.

A recipe for a busy weekend!