Emily Brown

Living and working at the base of Ojai's Topatopa bluffs, it is impossible not to be inspired by their majestic faces. This sculptural porcelain vase is my personal interpretation of this iconic Ojai landscape. Now on display at the Ojai Valley Museum, as part of our "As We See It" group exhibit.

I love having visitors in my studio. There is nothing quite like meeting friends, old and new, and sharing the techniques behind my clay and glazes. Lately, I have been working diligently on a batch of new pieces. In fact, my kiln is firing right now, and I will be unloading it this Friday! Who knows what surprises are waiting inside? I hope you can stop by, see the results, and catch up.

This kiln is where the magic happens. I load every pot into it at least twice. The first time, or bisque firing, is after I have thrown, trimmed, and dried the piece. During this firing, water molecules are driven out of the clay, making it completely dehydrated and transforming it into ceramic. Individual clay molecules begin to fuse together, making the piece much stronger, yet still porous enough to absorb glazes. This transformation to "Bisqueware" happens at around °1800. After unloading and glazing the bisqueware, I load it back into the kiln for its second firing, the glaze firing. I gradually increase the kiln temperature every hour. When it gets to about °2200, I start the process of reduction. I restrict the oxygen supply to the kiln to starve the fire and force the atmosphere to pull oxygen from the metal oxides in the glazes and clay body. Reduction alters the glaze's molecular structure, producing dramatic color transformations. The intense heat also causes the clay to mature and the raw glaze materials to melt together. The glaze transforms into a hard surface, binding permanently to the clay and making the piece waterproof and functional. This process takes about 6 hours and reaches an ultimate temperature of about °2300. I have general ideas of what glazes will look like when this process is complete, but I never know for sure. I can't open the kiln for at least 24 hours after firing as it needs to cool slowly. I have fired this kiln hundreds of time, and still wait in anxious anticipation to see what the pots look like. There may be some disasters, or pieces that I consider mediocre. If I'm lucky, I'll pull out something magical.

I am spending some quiet time in my studio this morning revisiting pitchers. Their wheel thrown bodies must be light enough to be usable when they are filled with liquid. The spouts must pour cleanly. The pulled handles should add grace and balance. It is a satisfying exercise in form and functionality.