Dave Berfield, Ceramist: #2

(The first post in this series, Dave Berfield Ceramist: #1, appears in the blog on July 6, 2016.)

In the initial edition of this blog post we described the “Building Phase”

of the Flower Vases for the wedding of Dave’s daughter Sachi. 

 As Dave describes it, both the fun and the challenge of the

Building Phase is the opportunity to dream up a design for a vessel,

then try it out, and modify it as needed to ensure that both the

form and functional objectives are met.  At the end of the Building Phase,

Dave had designed the vases, built them, and completed initial bisque firing.

The vases were now ready for a longer firing in Dave’s wood-fired kiln.

In actual fact, Dave notes that there is not a clean break between the two phases,

but an overlap, as he fires a few design vessels in full wood-firings,

and modifies the design as necessary.  He fired two vases in a first wood-firing,

and five or more in a second.  Dave perfected the design during the

winter and early spring.  After modifications and further testing,

he had the vase design that he wanted for final firings.

Firing 

In twelve years of observing potters engaged in wood-firing of ceramics,
we have never run across a wood-firing potter who does not love it.
Dave says he enjoys the firing process because of the physical activity
and the challenge of the firing itself.  Here the challenges include
the physical risks to the ceramics at 2,400+ degrees for extended
periods, wood that doesn’t always burn the same, and weather
that can affect the results.

Or, perhaps, the Kiln God may simply frown on you that day. 

The kiln sits in one corner of a lovely pasture.  When we visited,
the activity was under the eye of two watchful sheep.

They keep the pasture closely mowed and fertilized.  They are
very attentive to what the potters are doing and don’t appear to mind
a couple of extra observers.

  
Dave and fellow Bainbridge Island potter, Joe O’Brien,
constructed the kiln in 2012.   

       

 Joe has an MA in teaching and a MFA in ceramics and for many
years operated a commercial ceramic firm and participated in the design
and creation of ceramic and enamel murals for the City of New York
and for the Orlando Municipal Airport.  His current firings are
focused on glazes and his “experiments” produce beautiful hues,
helping to expand the wood-fired color palette.

The kiln is typically fired about twelve times each year.
Wild fire concerns limit summer firing.  So, it is fired about twice
a month during safe periods.  Firing activities can be pretty intense
and entail: preparing the kiln, loading it with the pottery to be fired,
building the fire and raising it to the proper temperature,
maintaining the temperature over time and finally unloading
the final product and making final touch-ups.

The kiln is a cross-draft design with firebox on one side and
exhaust on the other.  It is loaded from the top and has several shelves.

  

Like life, position in the kiln is often destiny.  Temperatures vary

within the kiln.  Some of the pieces will be closer to the flame

than others, or may be affected by different air flows depending

on the positioning of the ceramics.  All this has an impact.

Knowing this, potters attempt to take advantage of positioning

to enhance the desired results.  Loading takes time and thought.

Not only does inside positioning affect the result, but so do

outside conditions (temperature and humidity) and type and

condition of the wood being used.  Thus, different firings,

conducted in the same manner, can provide different results.

As in all art, the element of chance can play

an important part in the result.

Finally loading is completed, the kiln is closed and the fire is started.

 

Now the fun begins!

There is a reason you don’t see many “plump” wood-firing potters.

These potters will easily max out their Fitbit during a firing.

  

After they have the kiln going they must feed it for many hours.

This demands the use of the wood the potter has previously cut,

split and stockpiled, and possibly more.  The requirement is to

reach the desired temperature and maintain it. The routine

becomes very focused: check the temperature, feed the fire. 

 Observers, including sheep, tried to stay out of the way. 

On the day we were observing the firing, the kiln was being

a bit cantankerous.  It was having difficulty achieving

and holding the desired temperature.

 

Dave and Joe were adding wood, removing some bricks to

acquire more air for combustion, and finally,

speaking nicely to the Kiln God.

After a good deal of toil, the combination of activities

was successful.  Peering into the flames, the potters

confirmed that they had achieved and maintained Cone 11

(a temperature in excess of 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit)

for the required time.

Now it was time to reverse the process and start cooling it down.

The shadows were lengthening as Dave climbed up and reduced

the air to the fire.  It had been a long day. 

The following day’s activities started late in order for the kiln

and its contents to cool down sufficiently to handle.   Dave and

Joe removed the bricks and insulation covering the top of the

kiln and had their first glimpse of the firing results.  Despite the

difficulty with the kiln’s temperature regulation,

the firing had been very successful.

The four flower vases and the bird bath shown in this picture

were outstanding, as were the remainder of the contents.

 As the unloading continued, the smiles got bigger.

It was a great firing. 

When the kiln was unloaded the vases were taken to

 Dave’s studio for inspection. It confirmed the positive

assessment of the firing.  But their work wasn’t yet complete.

Another set of bisque-fired vases were sitting ready to

be a part of the next firing.

However, it was clear that the effort was coming

to a successful closure.

Next Time

We will highlight the vases at the wedding. Stay tuned. 

More Information

Wood-fired ceramics are an important part of The Island Gallery’s art portfolio.

If you want a bit more information on the history

and art of wood-fired ceramics we recommend the short essay 

Faith and Fortuitous Beauty: Thoughts on wood fired pottery by the

Gallery’s own Susan Roth. 

It is located at http://www.theislandgallery.net/ceramics.php.

Enjoy!