As some of you know, I have been doing pottery under the guidance of Josh Copus for the last six months. My original motivation was to make an urn for my mother-in-law’s, Faye Stilwell, ashes, which I did.
Last week, Josh, in conjunction with WOODFIRENC and Starworks, hosted The Mountain Pre-Heat, a week-long conference and workshop on wood-fired pottery. There were over forty potters in attendance, and everyone brought work to fire in Josh’s three kilns. The participants were young and old, some masters and some beginners, not much farther along than I am, and everyone enthusiastic and working hard.
In my work as a photographer, I have been around a lot of potters, often making images over a period of days, and learning something about their process, and them. But at the pre-heat I was fortunate to experience a community of potters, absorb their energy and knowledge, and make photographs. What I came away thinking about was the unity of the group—the sharing of knowledge, the lack of competition, the hard work of firing three kilns all day and night for four consecutive days, and the fun everyone was having.
What follows are some of the images I made over the course of the workshop. I wasn’t there non-stop so there are many gaps in the coverage of the event. Because of the number of pictures, this will be the first of two blog posts.
Last day of the firing, Lower Brush Creek, 2022.
Pieces for the kilns.
Preparing the pottery and loading the kilns.
Semi-loaded kiln, like a temple for clay, the earth.
Josh and other potters building the firebox on the third kiln, which had never been fired.
Kristin bricking and sealing the kiln door.
Firing, stoking, and side-stocking the kiln to a temperature 2100 degrees.
Joah, winding down, Lower Brush Creek,