Upcoming Show!!!

On Saturday November 28th I will be in a show at the Black Sheep Vineyard in Adena, OH!

Also participating will be Melanie Steffl with her fabulous oil paintings of the local area.

Everyone is invited to come and talk with us about our Art and drink some very good wine!

For more details and directions visit: http://blacksheepvineyard.com/2009/10/26/09fam4/

Smoke Trail Work!

Work has been commencing on the kiln. The front arched firebox grate is finished and so I moved to the back to work on the smoke trail and chimney.

What that meant was more digging! I took a picture of the dugout smoke trail with my trusty shovel where the chimney will be. But I was able to finish the back wall and the smoke trail! When I get the chimney built up I will cover the smoke trail with a big bed of clay.
Now I will take a short break from building as I have to get more bricks and more fireclay.

(and I have to figure out how to build the side loading door into the main design of the kiln. It has me somewhat stumped for now...)

Firebox Work!

I have really been trying to put some time in with the Kiln! Been working on the front Firebox. I built it up and added my primary air intakes and getting ready for the brick arched grate.

You can see the arch form setting down in the firebox and some of my arched grate finished (I have to put in 1 more row)

These are just pictures of the firebox with primary air access and with the start of the arched grate system.

This is a picture of my brick piles, cleaned, stacked, and ready to use!!

Finally Mortaring bricks down!!!!

So it has been a long time coming, but I am finally laying bricks for the kiln! After spending all summer cleaning bricks (chiseling through the 4000 plus brick pile, stacking, and organizing them by name and heat durability...) I am finally again to the point of continuing the actual Kiln.

I have started with the firebox at the front of the kiln and I am working my way up.

My roof has worked out really well as all my bricks are stacked under it and I can work out of the rain!

Anagama Beavers

These three Beaver tails were fired in the Astoria Dragon Kiln in April as part of the workshop that I attended. The rest of my work went through a major mishap with UPS and the little that survived the cross country journey arrived to late to be included in this firing. (It was very graciously fired in the next firing and I hear with good results...)

These pieces I traveled with on the plane (and had a hard time getting through airport security with bisqued beaver tails) where they lost my luggage and I thought the beaver tails as well. But luckily I received my bags and at least was able to fire them in the river of fire that is the Astoria Drgon Kiln.

They are a first step in a conversation with the beavers here in Ohio...

Many thanks to those who are a part of the community that swirls around the Astoria Dragon Kiln!

Kiln Floor Finished!

So after gethering, scraping, cleaning, and setting over 1200 bricks....The Kiln Floor is finished!!!!

This picture was the kiln 1 year ago...

Finally feels like I am making some progress

Chamber floors

Floor work continues...cleaning brick, leveling the ground and foundation, settin bricks level with sand...

I am working on the third step up now...not much more to go