TR Pottery Presents New Wood-fired Pots

Potters Tony and Renée Gebauer just completed the spring firing of their anagama wood-fired kiln.

“The majority of work in this firing was 15 big pots I made during special winter demonstrations,” said Tony. “This work is a slight departure from my functional work and we are very pleased with the results.”

Often the most noticeable feature of wood-firing is the wide variation in surface color and texture on each individual pot. In anagama style kilns, the wood combusts in the same chamber with the ware, often in very close proximity. This design allows for a great deal of flame contact with ware and for heavy fly ash deposits throughout the chamber. As temperatures reach 2,300 Fahrenheit, the fly ash begins to melt, creating a natural glass coating on the pot surface. The strong horizontal draft pulls the flame and fly ash through the ware and encourages pots with one type of surface on the “flame” side and another on the “shadow” side.

“The pots in this firing relied on flame, ash and the kiln atmosphere to give them color and texture,” continued Tony. “These larger pieces have more surface area and allow long, gentle curves of color from the flame path ranging from toasty red-brown to gray.”

TR Pottery, open daily, is a working studio and gallery located in downtown Fish Creek on Main Street next to The Cookery. In addition to the large wood-fired pots, the gallery offers a great selection of smaller, functional wood-fired pieces as well as mugs, plates and bowls.

For more information call 920.868.1024 or visit http://www.trpottery.com.