You are invited to visit my studio and kiln on Whidbey Island. Please call or email to arrange a visit.

Studio

My studio is adjacent to the soda kiln and my home on Whidbey Island about an hour north and one short ferry ride from Seattle, Washington. The studio and kiln shed open onto a large patio with an outdoor work area and fire-pit surrounded by artichoke plants. The property is bordered by forest and looks down on farm land and beyond to the Olympic Mountain range. My studio space, located on the second floor right above Robbie Lobell's studio, is equipped with tables, a slab roller and plenty of shelving and canvas-covered tables.

Kiln and Firing

We fire in a 70+ cubic foot soda kiln that uses propane for fuel. During the firing, small amounts of wood are thrown into the kiln for body reduction, a critical time when the clay body is beginning to transform to the hard platter. Toward the end of the 24-hour firing, a solution of soda ash and water is sprayed into several ports (small openings) built into the kiln. The kiln cools for about 48 hours before it is unloaded. Currently, the kiln is being fired about every six weeks throughout the year.

The process of firing is magical and alchemical. It transforms the soft earth material of clay into a formed, stone-like material. The firing process often leaves marks of the fire on the pots and creates interesting colors and surface textures. I use a flameproof clay body for cookware platters and tiles, fired to cone 10 (approximately 2350° Fahrenheit).