It feels harsh in the cold and dark October morning when I arrive to the kiln. It is raining and my body is still aching from all the heavy lifting. Twenty sculptures were placed in the kiln the previous day. Now I have 12 hours of firing ahead of me. I am letting the temperature rise slowly. One must be careful with large forms – if the temperature rises too fast, failure lies in wait. Inside the wood fire kiln, the clay has a life of its own and the flames of the fire add dimensions that could not be achieved in any other way.
I give a lot of leeway to the power of intuitive feeling in the creative process. The violent struggle with the clay should also come through. The kiln is emptied a few days later. And even though I had successfully mastered the firing, nothing came out as I had planned.
It was a lot better.
