annieb123's Review of Mastering Kilns and Firing (Mastering Ceramics)

by Lindsay Oesterritter

Learn the key techniques, tips, and tricks for pit, barrel, raku, and wood firing.

Fall in love with flames, wood, and the effect that unique firing methods have on pottery. Move beyond the electric kiln and explore the dramatic surfaces of raku, the flashes of salt firing, and the rustic look of ash rivulets. In this book, Lindsay Oesterritter provides a crash course in the most accessible methods of alternative firing.

Raku firing requires minimal equipment and can easily be fueled with a standard propane tank. Likewise, pit and barrel firing do not require much in the way of initial investment. Yet all these techniques provide an immediate glimpse into the magic of firing. Bright reds and blues, dramatic black and white crackle, even metallic luster are instantly possible. For more experienced potters and studios looking to offer more, Oesterritter also explores wood-fired kilns. Drawing on years of experience and extensive interviews with fellow wood-fire potters, there is no comparable resource on the market.

Features on top potters working today get to the heart of specialty techniques and asides show firing variations and traditional kilns in different cultures around the world. A gallery of showstopping work from a diverse group of artists round out the package and inspire you to get started.

The Mastering Ceramics series is for artists who never stop learning. With compelling projects, expert insight, step-by-step photos, and galleries of work from today’s top artists, these books are the perfect studio companions. Also available from the series: Mastering Hand Building and Mastering the Potter's Wheel.

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Mastering Kilns and Firing: Raku, Pit and Barrel, Wood Firing, and More is a tutorial and pottery workshop reference with a stunning amount of in-depth technical information for the potter. Released 22nd Oct 2019 by Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 192 pages and available in hardcover format.

It's a beautifully photographed book with an abundance of clear photos and illustrations of kilns, firing pieces, setups (including interior shots of kilns), and process shots. There are also gallery sections in full color with other artists scattered throughout the book with pieces that are quite literally jaw droppingly gorgeous. Amazing stuff.

The introductory sections (~16% of the content), includes a great overview of studio safety, gear, equipment, and supplies. The following chapters cover kiln construction and considerations (the best treatment of the subject I've seen), separate very in-depth technical chapters on raku, pit & barrel, and wood firing, and further technique explorations.

It also includes a recipes section along with templates for studio record-keeping and a good cross referenced index. This entire book is full of useful information aimed at the professional working potter. This would make a superlative workshop/instruction book or dream book for those who aspire to be professional potters. There was a great deal of accessible information here for hobbyists or craftspeople also. I learned a lot about the processes involved in kiln construction and use which I have never previously considered, along with process photos of creating clay and slip. I have only previously used the materials provided, but the recipes contained in the book make my fingers itch wanting to experiment.

Five stars. This is a very well done treatise. I believe this will become a classic staple of the professional potter's workshop library.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Mastering Kilns and Firing (Mastering Ceramics)

by Lindsay Oesterritter

Reviewed by annieb123 on Oct 28, 2019

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