‘Ash Smash’ pop-up in February showcases wood firing on Orcas Island

||| FROM SHARON HO for ASH SMASH POP-UP |||

As it often does on Orcas Island, a casual exchange—in this case, a shared curiosity in the ancient method of wood firing—grew organically into a series of exploratory meetings. Before long, nine local artists were pooling resources and time over two and a half years to build a wood-fired kiln on Orcas Island. In 2020, they celebrated their first wood kiln firing.

Since then, they fire the kiln two to three times a year, sharing the many tasks of this labor-intensive process. Throughout the year, wood is salvaged from local sawmills or wind-felled trees, cut to size, and stacked. Loading the glazed wares and sealing the chamber takes a day; firing begins at dawn the next morning. Taking shifts in pairs or threes, they stoke the firewood every 10 to 15 minutes, for up to 20 hours, until the kiln’s internal temperature reaches over 2300 degrees F! The draw of flame and fiery ash through the intense heat of the chamber  leaves inimita markings on the surface of the clay, which have intrigued potters through the ages. Subtle or gnarly, each piece has a flame-wrought character.

Members of the collective are Ayame Bullock, Matt Hauser, Sean Forest Roberts, Sharon Ho, Sam Bullock, Mary Jane Elgin, Penny Sharp Sky, Yuriko Bullock, and Mike Rozzi. They each have busy studio schedules so these wood firings are also a treasured time to socialize. The have affectionately named the kiln, Winnie of POO, in a tongue-in-cheek reference to the abbreviation of their collective’s name, Potters of Orcas.

For a weekend in mid-February, the Potters of Orcas collective will showcase their wood-fire ceramics in a pop-up show and sale at Forest Ceramic Co. Gallery in downtown Eastsound.

The artists will host an opening reception on Thursday, Feb 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. All are welcome. The show will continue through the weekend, February 14-16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.