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| Joy Bridy |  |
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| Juniata College Anagama | ||||||||||||||||
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| Joy Bridy | |
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Juniata College
is where I magically reconnected with clay. As Jack Troy's studio tech for three
years, I was able to not only learn to work with clay from an excellent teacher,
but also attack soda firing and wood firing with much vigor (with a strong dose
of gas reduction for continuity.) These atmospheric firing experiences have
become the backbone of what fuels me in clay. The Juniata College anagama was
fired at the end of each semester, integrating somewhere around 30 students
into the process. In June 2006, I was once again given the opportunity to fire
this anagama as a technician for Jack's summer workshop. Somewhere around 20
of us worked and learned together, from loading to scraping shelves, and had
the time of our summer! And, of course, the results were breathtaking.
This is the wood kiln that introduced me to the different zones of wood firing, from the front heat and
crystals in porcelain, to the ground flamework near the stokeholes. I gained a vocabulary for wood effects,
as well as a true hands-on, learn as you work understanding for the process, from making work appropriate for
different zones, to glaze or not to glaze, wadding, wood types and uses, phases of firing, and the beauty
of taking pots home to let them emerge through use. I continually think back to this time as I move
forward in my firing experiences, with a keen mix of fond memories and questions to carry me on.