I spent the last week at Justin Rothahank's studio in Goshen, Indiana, at a woodfire workshop. While I have attended wood firings before, this was my first time firing at Justin's.
If you've never had the opportunity to visit Justin's studio, let me paint you a picture.... imagine being surrounded by softly rolling farm land occupied by a thriving Amish community. Time slows down as you drive down the quiet county roads.
The workshop began on a chilly Tuesday morning with a beautiful sunrise. The drive from home to Goshen took me about an hour even though the studio is only 26 miles away. Only in Elkhart County will you witness a Maserati passing a horse and buggy on your way to an old school firing...good sign in my opinion.
We began by glazing and wadding our work and preparing the kiln for loading.
Along with Justin's work, work from the four workshop participants; presenters, Tim Kowalczyk, Brett Kern, Todd Pletcher; and work by Taylor Emery, Sadie Misiuk, and Troy Bungart went into the kiln.
Day Two found us finishing the loading, blocking it up, and lighting the kiln for a 95 hour firing.
The following days found us on shift at the kiln, and attending demos by Brett, Tim, Todd and Justin. We celebrated two birthday, and spent many hours laughing and telling stories. Great collaborations and friendships were made.
Friday we will unblock the kiln. I can't wait to see the results and look forward to sharing the results here.