We're Building an Anagama Part 1: The Back Story
In 2016, two weeks after I got married, I left home and camped for two weeks in illinois with Chris Pate and friends at the Waubonsee International Woodfire Conference. While there, I participated in 5 different styles of kiln firings and interacted with a guest list of demonstrating artists that remains unrivaled. From largest to smallest, I participated in the firing of Klyde the tube kiln with Chris Gustin as lead, an anagama with Justin Lambert, a large train with Tara Wilson, a wood/soda large catenary arch with Ted Adler, and finally a small train kiln with Perry Haas. Doug Jepsen presided over the whole affair with obvious and infectious pleasure.
I was first exposed to woodfiring in 2013 and in 2015 I joined a group of artists at the Sanbao Ceramic Art Institute in China for a 3-week residency. It was not until this intense and immersive experience in Illinois that really lit my fire, so-to-speak, and I began to dream of one-day building a kiln of my own.
In the space of 14 months I fired 14 large Jars (see thesis group shot) made from locally harvested clay in wood kilns all around the country. I learned what I wanted to emulate and what I didn’t care for about both the styles of kilns and cultures surrounding them. From the kind and firm control of Logan Wannamaker in Taos, NM and John Balestreri in Denver, CO to the frenetic workshop atmosphere of school settings, Laura and I dreamed of building a place of our own.
Our stated intentions are to construct a kiln large enough to have a good group of people participating but small enough to fire with some regularity. Through extended conversations with Justin Lambert, I have come to appreciate his process and philosophies greatly. Firing frequently and really learning the kiln is a highly attractive goal as well. Finally, we have a family and designing the space to be family friendly for us and guests at every stage, including during the firing, is at the forefront of our minds.
The most recent development, an approved building permit, is the next step in that dream that began in 2016.