The next firing of the Anagama kiln will be the March 27 - 30, 2008. Please contact Jay by email for space availability. The firing crew consists of 10 people. The cost for a position on the crew is $400. Positions can be split between two people.

The setting for the kiln is in the beautiful Oregon Coast Range - about 30 miles east of Waldport on the ocean. Digger Mountain is an easy hike up homestead roads. Elk, bear, deer, bobcat and other wildlife can be seen on the property. It is also an exceptional birding site. This is a truly scenic setting.

My kiln is known for the color and flash achieved on the surfaces of the pots and the fact that my kiln consistently achieves temperatures in the cone 12 to cone 13 range. It has produced consistently outstanding surfaces for over 16 years.The firing is run somewhat loosely as a workshop where I will share my observations and techniques gathered from over 16 years of successful firing of the Alsea Anagama. Although each firing has its own unique elements, I have learned there are many common factors involved in a successful wood fire. The type and water content of the wood used, the types of clay, wadding and glazes used, and stoking of the kiln -- all contribute to a successful firing. This information is shared with all participants.

I stack loosely for a more open flame path to insure that all pots in the kiln are smacked with lots of flame and ash. 20 spaces in the kiln are included in the cost of the firing. A space is a size approximately equivalent to a soccer ball. Cups or tea bowls would count as 1/3 of a space. Bowls over 14 inches in width are difficult to stack to due the size of the shelves.

The preparation of the pots - spraying a salty shino and wadding the bottom of the pots - and loading of the kiln takes place on Thursday April 5th and Friday April 6th. The kiln gets fired up Friday evening and the firing lasts until Sunday afternoon. The final stoke will usually take place in the late afternoon - around 4 or so. Unloading will take place the following Friday - April 13th at 10:00 A.M..

The best clay bodies for wood-firing are fine grained, porcelainous clay that have around 1% iron. For example, Georgie's Umpqua and Clay Art Helmer clays will reliably blush quite beautifully in the kiln. These clay bodies tend to be "ash sticky" and will respond well to the flame. The stonewares will also show well with a light shino application. Porcelains also fire well in the back of the kiln - Aardvark's, Coleman; Georgie's, Mt. Hood and Crystal Springs have created striking glaze effects. These clays can be too fine-toothed for larger pieces though. For larger work you should consider blending the clay bodies with coarser, low-iron clays. I usually use crushed feldspar as a grog to open the clay body. Feldspar chunks are available from Clay Art. Pots need to be bisqued fired prior placement in the kiln.

All pots must be wadded for placement in the kiln. There are many approaches to wadding, which gives us an opportunity to learn from each other. Each participant is responsible for mixing and bringing their own wadding and glue for attaching the wads. The following is a suggested formula for the wadding:

1 part ball clay
1 part fireclay
1 part grog or sand
3 parts fine sawdust (ant hill casting are the best)

Space is available on site for campers and tents. The closest other lodging would be in either west in Waldport (on the Oregon Coast) 28 miles, or Corvallis to the east about 35 miles. There is a group potluck dinner party on Saturday evenings with friends and family invited. New, and not reflected in the photos, is a large covered work area in front of the kiln. This addition will help on those hot, sunny days, and also days when the weather is wet.

If you are coming from out of the area the pot preparation and loading occurs on Thursday and Friday. The fire is started up late Friday afternoon and the last stoke is late Sunday afternoon (2 day firing). After a very slow, controlled cooling that produces some of the special effects this kiln is known for - such as iridescence and crystals - the pots are unloaded from the kiln the following Friday.

For more information please contact Jay at 541.738.7601