About the Miniature Kilns

 

      I have fun making these little kilns.  My newest design is pictured in the bottom 2 images.  Unlike the first ones I made, this one has a base and legs which give it a larger space inside the kiln. The kilns are made using different layers of clay and, in some cases, ceramic fiber materials. Recently, I’ve been using a Flameware clay body which handles the thermal shock of firing well. I’ve been able to achieve raku temperatures (around 1700-1800 degrees F). I fire them using a small torch with propane.

               Creating kilns as objects in and of themselves questions general notions of functional ceramics.  Other than what one normally considers like glazes, color, use for dishes, decoration, or sculpture, another very important quality of ceramics is that it's strong, it's refractory, (handles heat) and it has the ability to insulate in extreme temperatures, and that is what these kilns are about for me.

         In art, it is the finished piece that gets all the attention.  The process by which it is achieved is often ignored.  These pieces emphasize the process and the tool itself as the finished work.