Soda Firing Workshop with Louis Reilly
See Louis' work on Instagram
Participants will have an in-depth and hands-on opportunity to learn how to fire the KC Clay Guild Soda Kiln using a custom clay body.
Louis Reilly completed a MFA in Ceramics in 2013 with soda firing as the focus of his thesis. Louis worked on developing unique clay bodies that interact with the sodium vapor in the kiln to form beautiful surfaces without the application of slip or glaze. In this workshop, Louis will share his graduate research with the students. Students in the workshop will gain an understanding of firing the KC Clay Guild Soda Kiln with great results!
May 30th, last day to drop off work for bisque firing:
This is the deadline for making pieces from the custom clays and dropping off your finished work on the greenware shelf at KC Clay Guild. Leave a note with your pieces that states they are for the 'soda firing workshop'.
Custom clays available as soon as you register and pay. Pick up from the front desk, clay will be labeled with your name.
Students create pots using Louis' custom clay body and have them bisque fired. Students receive 25 pounds of clay.
Students will have free access to studio to make pieces, mark yourself as a 'student'. Pieces with smooth surfaces, broad planes, and clean shapes will take on the most dynamic surfaces. Pieces with texture also look great and will have really nice contrast.
Saturday, June 7th, 2pm to ~7pm:
-Briefing on loading and firing the kiln
-Glaze interior of pots
-Load kiln using wading, seashells
-Candle kiln overnight
Sunday, June 8th, 6am-9pm:
-Hands-on firing of kiln
-Prepare soda mixture
Wednesday, June 11th, 5:30pm-7:30pm
-Unload kiln
-Kiln clean up
Fee: $250 for members, $300 for non-members
12 participant limit
Studio time to make pots included
25 pounds of custom clay bodies included
Each participant allotted 24”x12”x8” kiln space - example: 4 mugs, 2 dinner plates, and a small vase
Cancellation with refund is not available for this workshop.
A few notes:
-Wear closed-toe shoes during the workshop
-Bring a half mask respirator with P100 cartridges if you have one
-The more time you spend at the kiln during the firing, the more you will learn. If you hope to learn how to fire this kiln, plan on being at KCCG all day on Sunday.
Questions? studio@kcclayguild.org
