Whether you are an experienced ceramicist in the planning stages of building a kiln, or relatively new to clay and could use guidance determining what type of kiln might be best suited to your practice, this class will equip you with the requisite knowledge needed to embark on your kiln building journey.

Participants will be encouraged to share with the class a bit about themselves and their work, including what their experiences are with different types of kilns, how that has affected their personal aesthetic, and what kind of kiln they envision for themselves moving forward. The course content will then be tailored to the specific interests and needs of the group. Here is an example of topics we could cover:

● Breaking down kilns by category and discussing the pros and cons of various designs.

● In depth information about kiln building materials including: types of firebrick, ceramic fiber, castables, mortars, foundations, and much more. Sourcing these materials as well as covering their various costs.

● Construction techniques: building foundations, how to lay brick, building arch forms, metal fabrication and welding, door designs, casting burner blocks and lintels, etc.

● Burners and controls: a look at multiple types of burners, as well as safety measures such as standing pilot lights, baso switches and valves, electronic ignition, pressure switches, high limit controllers and more. We can discuss building burners in more detail if participants show particular interest in this avenue.

● Wood firing: traditional designs vs alternative approaches: Anagama, Noborigama, Bourry Box, Train Kilns, Catenary Cross Drafts, Rocket Kilns, and my own personally designed high efficiency portable Compact Wood Kiln.

● Designing kilns: each participant will choose a type of kiln that they would like to build. We will break down how to design your kiln and make a realistic road map of what it will require to build it. If you feel limited in your ability to actually construct your kiln we will discuss hiring an expert who can help guide you through the process or even help you with the build.

● Guest Lecturers will include Ted Neal, Lisa Orr, and Donovan Palmquist.

I look forward to working with individuals who are eager to learn about the expansive world of kilns, and want to move their work forward by building one of their own. Through sharing the knowledge, insights, and technical skills I have developed during my career, and by fostering a group dynamic that encourages exploration, and challenges preconceived notions, I hope to broaden your understanding of kilns and help you develop a plan that will put you on your way towards realizing your personal kiln building vision.

Bio

Judah Birkeland is a Minnesota based ceramic artist and kiln builder with nearly 20 years of professional experience. His formative years in clay took place in Minneapolis, where he worked as a production potter while also maintaining a private studio practice. In 2007, Birkeland began working with Master Kiln Builders, eventually becoming a full-time kiln builder. He has constructed kilns for some of the most renowned ceramic institutions and artists across the United States. Now, as the owner and operator of Linwood Pottery, he is experimenting with an innovative new portable wood kiln design, and developing a body of work specifically tailored to an abbreviated and highly efficient wood-fire process. Birkeland’s ceramics craft is rooted in the utilitarian tradition. Cultivating a sensibility which embraces and celebrates process marks left by the maker, as well as those left by the kiln is paramount to his work. Each pot tells the story of how it was made through the marks which adorn it. This interest in a process driven aesthetic led him to the world of kiln building and design, which has become inextricably linked to his clay practice. For Birkeland, the relationship between the two is symbiotic: the pots influence the kiln designs, and new kiln designs inspire changes in the pottery. His current work revolves around continuous experimentation with both pottery and kiln designs, carefully analyzing firing results, and pursuing the most intriguing avenues of exploration as they are revealed.

www.linwoodpottery.com