Cone 6/7 Woodfire with Katie Applebaum — Jan 12 - 19

Dates: January 12, 2025 → January 19, 2025
Times: All day. Students will take 6 hour shifts.
Level: All levels

Workshop Description:
This workshop will focus on firing to mid-range temperatures in a wood fired kiln, with the goal of creating rich, varied surfaces that are not achievable when firing work to Cone 5 or 6 in an electric kiln. By using a variety of slips and glazes and introducing both wood ash and soda ash into the kiln we can achieve surfaces with depth, ranging from satin-matte and smokey finishes to “juicy pots” that are characteristic of atmospheric firings. Firing to mid-range temperatures also offers some advantages compared to a “normal” Cone 10+ wood firing: underglazes tend to stay more true to color which opens doors for all kinds of decoration. Also firings are shorter and use less fuel, meaning firings are more economical and the turn-around time for results is shorter.

Slip recipes will be provided to students, so there will be time to make work in your own studios and apply slips to your greenware before bisque firing the work to bring to the workshop. Students may bring up to 3 cubic feet of bisqueware of Cone 5/6 clay to be glazed and fired. A selection of cone 5/6 glazes will be provided by the Mendocino Art Center and students are encouraged to try a variety of slips on leather hard clay intended for these types of firings (recipes will be provided to workshop participants). Also decoration with suitable underglazes is encouraged. High Temperature underglazes are better.

About the Instructor:
Katie Applebaum is from Paradise California, a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. She graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts, with a minor in Environmental Science and Sustainability, from California State University at Chico. There she was nominated for the Windgate Foundation Grant in fall of 2019. Her work is a synthesis of multiple materials, primarily ceramic and metal. In 2022 Katie completed a ceramic woodfire residency term at Cub Creek Foundation, where she became Assistant to the Director. Katie has worked in multiple galleries, from large universities, to small local non profits. Most recently she has completed a residency here at Mendocino art center in 2023 and has been retained as a full time staff member.

“In my work I like to replicate forms that bring to mind different memories for each individual. The objects I choose to glorify or replicate are often antique. I feel the variable conditions of atmospheric firing plays well with these “antique“ forms, as age and patina are often variable. I fixate on hardware, fixtures and details.”

Required Materials:
• 2 cu/ft of bisqueware made from cone 5/6 clay - varied heights
• Mask/Respirator for cleaning posts/shelves, and for introducing soda into the kilns
• Notebook for glaze and firing notes
• Closed toed shoes, non-synthetic long sleeve shirts and pants
• Leather work gloves
• Kiln glasses (optional)