Sam Taylor
The process of firing our kiln with wood is exhilarating. The fire makes the kiln come alive -- but trying to control something that has a life of its own is intensely challenging. The fire reaches temperatures up to 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit and must be fed for 24 hours. A flame sometimes as long as 40' long flows through the kiln like a river overflowing its banks. None of the pottery is spared by the fire or by the ash and salt that are carried along with it. Each piece of pottery that comes out of the kiln has its own story to tell. Even two pots, practically identical and put in the kiln side by side, will be completely different from each other once fired. The first pots that I unloaded from the wood kiln were magical for me. What came out of the kiln was so much better then what I had put in; my simple, even "crude," pots had been transformed. Ten years later, I still get the same thrill unloading the kiln. Not only are no two pieces the same, but also through the magic of the kiln and the fire, the pottery is alive. -- Sam Taylor
Oval Vase B
Teapot
Covered box with leaves
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