Salt Firing Ceramics

We offer classes workshops and facilities for aspiring ceramicists to call home.

Salt firing ceramics.

Formulating your own clay body being able to mix your own clay body and glaze from native materials might seem ridiculous yet covid 19 taught us about the need for independence. Sodium from the salt reacts with silica in the clay body to form a glassy coating of sodium silicate the glaze may be colourless or may be. Salt glazing also adds a brilliant texture to the ceramics from the building up of layers to the running of salt vapors. If my hit parade were to be about looks alone i might have included the creative slip applications of english mocha ware or the bizarre twisted explorations of george orr or the brilliant cobalt blues of german westerwald salt fired stoneware or the wood fired stoneware of richard.

The japanese have always held wood fired ceramics in high. Salt glaze or salt glaze pottery is pottery usually stoneware with a glaze of glossy translucent and slightly orange peel like texture which was formed by throwing common salt into the kiln during the higher temperature part of the firing process. When firing a salt kiln salt is put directly into the kiln through special ports over the flame. Fortunately the unique beauty of wood fired pottery is again becoming a highly appreciated art form throughout the world.

These segments are glazed by the salt during the firing process. Yet since the invention of electric and gas kilns wood firing was pushed aside by many. The result is a piece with an active complex surface. We also have the best handmade goods from seattle and the pacific northwest specializing in ceramics but supporting artists in a range of media.

We are a seattle based artist owned and artist operated ceramics studio and gallery. Once again a big thanks to rob hunter and his inspired ceramics in america 2014 top ten issue. Removing them leaves sharp fragments glued to the shelf. Humans have been enamoured of wood fired ceramics for thousands of years.

Salt and soda firings can really affect any underglazes or slips you use on your ware and the results can be very varied and interesting. The salt vaporizes and sodium vapor combines with silica in clay surface forming extremely hard sodium silicate glaze. The salt kiln must be prepared for the firing often involving repairs to the brick walls and arch and always extensive work preparing the refractory kiln shelves shelf props fire boxes burners door lagging clay wadding clay and clay discs to sit the pots on. The salt reacts to the surface clay and glazes in different ways leaving matte sheen and some runny glazed areas.

In salt firing and soda firing tips and techniques you will learn to go further bringing the form and surface of your work together into a signature style using a variety of carving tools in combination with carving techniques like sgraffito etching wire cutting relief carving and more.