Scroll down to see places to fire ceramics

 

This page contains information in the area of ceramic crafts.

When using any products, please read labels carefully and always do a test sample before going into large production runs.

Firing results may vary from one kiln to another & one environment to another. We do not guarantee specific results.

 

Ceramic Dictionary of Terms

• Raku : Originally a name used by a Japanese family that made tea ceremony ware. Now refers to the process of raku firing and to ware glazed in such a firing. Raku ware is often reduced after firing by burying it in combustible material, then covering it with an airtight lid. This reduction atmosphere aids in producing luster or opalescent colors.
• Reduction : A firing in which insufficient air is supplied to the kiln for complete combustion. Under these conditions, the carbon monoxide in the kiln combines with the oxygen in the oxides of the clay body and glaze, causing the oxides to change color. Commonly associated with high-fired stoneware, porcelain, raku, and lusters.
• Refractory : Resistance to heat and melting. Refractory materials are used in porcelain and stoneware. Also used for building kilns and kiln furniture and in combustion with other materials, as kiln insulation.
• Relief : The projection of forms from a flat background in sculpture and decoration. The terms high relief and low relief describe the amount of projection above the background.
• Resist : A methods of applying a covering material such as wax, latex, stencils, or masking tape to bisque or glazed ware, then coating the piece with a slip, a glaze, or a second glaze. The resist material will not accept the added layer so that on firing, the color of the covered area will remain intact.
• Rib : A curved tool made of wood, metal, or plastic, used for shaping, scraping, or smoothing clay objects.
• Ribbing : use of a rib to shape moist clay, or scrape damp or dry clay.
• Rim : The edge of the opening of a pot.
• Salt glaze : A glaze formed by introducing salt into a hot kiln. The vaporized salt combines with the silica in the clay body, forming a sodium silicate glaze on the surface. Salt glazing releases noxious and toxic fumes, so many potters now use alternate forms.
• Scoring : Scratching or otherwise roughening the edges of damp or leather-hard clay before joining them.
• Secondary clay : Natural clay that has been moved by water or wind from its source and settled elsewhere in deposits.
• Sgraffito : Decoration of pottery made by scratching through a layer of colored slip to the differently colored clay body underneath.
• Shrinkage : The loss of volume in clay as it shrinks in drying and firing. Shrinkage varies from 7 percent to 20 percent from wet clay to fired clay, depending on the clay.
• Sieve : A utensil of wire mesh used to strain liquids or powder materials.
• Silica : Oxide of silicon. Found in nature as quartz or flint sand, it is the most common of all ceramic materials.
• Silicate of soda : A solution of sodium silicate that is used as a deflocculant to help in the suspension of clay materials in slip.
• Slab roller : A mechanical device for rolling out slabs to a set, consistent thickness.
• Slip : A suspension of clay in water used for casting pottery or sculpture in molds. Slip can also be used for painted decoration or for the sgraffito technique.
• Slip casting : Forming objects by pouring slip into a plaster mold. The mold absorbs the water in the slip so that the solid clay walls are formed to create a positive of the original.
• Slip glaze : A glaze that contains a large proportion of clay. Generally one that contains enough flux to form a glaze with few or no additives.
• Slip trailer : A rubber syringe used to apply decorations of slip on ware.
• Slurry : A thick, creamy mixture of clay and water.
• Spray booth : A ventilated booth that removes chemicals and fumes from the air so that the person spraying does not inhale them while spraying glazes, underglazes, or overglazes.
• Spray gun : A gun-like device through which compressed air passes, forcing the air into a fine mist for application. Used for spraying glazes.
• Spraying : In ceramics, a method of applying glazes using a spray gun.
• Sprigging : The process of applying low-relief decorations of damp clay onto already formed greenware.
• Stains : Commercially processed and refined raw chemicals which yield ceramic stains and offer a wide range of shades for coloring and clay and glazes. They are generally more color stable than oxides.
• Stilts : Triangular supports with either clay or heat-resistant metal points, used to support pieces of glazed pottery above the shelves during glaze firing to keep the glaze from sticking the ware to the shelf. Small stilt marks can be filled, sanded, or ground smooth.
• Stoneware : A type of clay body fired to a temperature at which the body becomes vitrified, dense, and nonabsorptive, but not translucent. Usually matures at temperatures above 2192 degrees F.
• Temper : Any material, such as sand, mica, or grog, added to a clay body to make it more porous and less likely to shrink and warp.
• Tenmoku : High-fired, saturated iron glaze; black, brown, and yellowish. Used by the Chinese and Japanese, especially on tea ware. Still a popular glaze.
• Terra-cotta : A low-fire, porous, reddish clay body, frequently containing grog and other temper. Used throughout history for common, utilitarian ware; also used for sculpture.
• Terra sigillata : A fine slip glaze. Used by the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans to coat their pottery. Now formulated into a wide variety of colors.
• Test tiles : Small tiles made of clay used to test clay bodies in the kiln or to test glazes on a specific clay body.
• Thermal shock : The stress to which ceramic material is subjected to when sudden changes occur in the heat during firing or cooling.
• Throwing : Forming objects on the potters' wheel using a clay body with plastic qualities.
• Trailing : A method of throwing in which slip or glaze is applied using a syringe.
• Trimming : In ceramics, this refers to trimming excess clay off the foot and sometimes the body of a pot to refine the shape.
• Undercut : A negative space in a solid form, creating an overhang. Casting a form with undercutting requires a multi-part mold to release the mold from the cast.
• Underfire : To fire clay or glaze-accidentally or deliberately-to a point below its maturing point. Underfiring can turn a normally glossy glaze into a matte finish.
• Underglaze : Any coloring material used under a glaze. The color can be provided by commercially prepared glaze and clay body stains.
• Updraft kiln : A kiln in which the heat goes up through the chamber and is vented through the top of the iln.
• Vitreous : Having the nature of glass. In ceramics, a glaze or clay body that has been fired to a dense, hard, and nonabsorbent condition. High-fire glazes vitrify and combine with the glassy particles that form in the high-fire clay body as it approaches vitrification. This results in a glaze that is united with the clay body as compared to a low-fire glaze that merely coats the glaze.
• Warping : Changes in the form of a clay body. Warping of ware can occur during drying or firing if the walls are built unevenly or if drying or firing is too rapid and uneven.
• Wax resist : A method of decoration in which melted wax or oil emulsion is painted onto the clay body or onto a glazed piece.
• Wedging : Anyone of various methods of kneading a mass of clay to expel the air, get rid of lumps, and prepare for a homogenous material.
• Wedging table : A table of plaster, wood, or concrete, often covered with canvas, on which clay can be wedged. A stretched wire attached to the table allows one to cut the clay to check for air bubbles, lumps, or lack of homogeneity.

 

Greg Skipper   334 356-0904   gregskipper@usa.net
 

 

Alaska

 

Ceramics Studio of fairbanks 907-457-7359 ceramicstudiooffairbanks@yahoo.com

 

Arizona

 

Marilyn Totonchi Artsy Phartsy 480 217 0260 totonchi@worldnet.att.net   www.artsyphartsy.net   Chandler az 

 

Michelle Lowe   Desert Dragon Pottery   602-690-6956 Mishy@desertdragonpottery.com   desertdragonpottery.com   Phoenix AZ   

 

California

 

Ceramic Art Space 6020 Woodman Ave. Van Nuys, Ca. 91401 818-782-1500 outside Ca. toll free 1-888-CERAMIX  info@ceramicartspace.com  www.ceramicartspace.com

 

Josh & Paula Richling 760-247-0877 LINQ 760-247-0877 goincrze@juno.com  Apple Valley ca 

 

Doug & Edith Elfving 760-347-8805 delfving@geodata-analytics.com   Indio CA 

 

Jewell Boen Boen's Crafts 559 626-0801 BoensCrafts@aol.com   www.worldzone.net/arts/boen/    
Fresno, Reedley, Dinuba CA 
 

 

Leatha Ruchty TMS Enterprises 760-4511802  leathap2@cs.com  Fallbrook CA  

 

Laurel Street Arts   650-591-1005   San Carlos CA  info@laurelstreetarts.com   www.laurelstreetarts.com   
Laurel Street Arts provides firing services for ceramic artists who work at home.  . 

 

Tim O'Neill  Bad-Dog Pottery (559) 786-6577 kilnguy@biggovtsucks.com   Visalia - So. San Juaquin Valley CA 

 

Gabriell  The Red Ladder 925.829-3733    www.theredladder.com  Dublin Ca 

 

Judith Enright Black Leopard Clayware 408-448-4597 bleopard@pacbell.net  www.bleopard.com  San Jose CA 

 

Ann Hood   Hood Services 310-713-5737 ahood@flamingohood.com  www.flamingohood.com  Torrance CA 

 

Leonie Barel leonieb@barak-online.net  Los Angeles 

 

Annie E. Doryk   WetDog Studio  805-481-7992   
Arroyo Grande, CA   WetDOGraphx@hotmail.com 

 

Ki & Yulia Cho  Echo Ceramics   310-815-1525
West Los Angeles CA  echoceramics@earthlink.net
www.echoceramics.com

 

ALIXANDRA POTTERY  

gallery studio instruction

4505 S. Centinela Avenue

Canada

 

Lisa Conley   The Greenware Gallery (613) 969-7858 conley_ca@yahoo.ca   www.greenwaregallery.ca    Foxboro, Ontario Canada 

 

Susan Barrow  The Treasure Hut Ceramics (604)793-4302 susanbarrow@telus.net   Chilliwack, B.C. Canada 

 

Ken Friesen Froze Inc. 519-733-3607 kfriesen1@cogeco.ca   www.frozeinc.com   Kingsville, ON, Canada ON 

 

Debbie Adams, 613-384-2194, debbieadams@hotmail.com  
Kingston, Ontario, Canada

 

 

 

 

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Colorado

 

Lorry Lorak Creations  1lorry@attbi.com  Fort Collins CO 
We have a Skutt 1027 electric kiln in Northern Colorado.   

 

Connecticut

 

Morty Bachar   www.lakesidepottery.com   

203-323-2222 Studio@lakesidepottery.com>

 

Debbie Altschwager   The Clay Lady 860-693-6460  dlha@aol.com   Collinsville CT   

 

Delaware

 

Susan Brightman, CeramicsPlus Studio, Ocean View, DE
302-541-8258   ceramicsplusstudio@mchsi.com  
www.ceramicsplusstudio.com 
Low-fire and high fire up to ^6

 

Florida

Claypotter  claypotr@hotmail.com   Tampa, FL  Small electric kiln for hobbiest.  

 

Ann Smith Smitty's Ceramics Inc. Bus.   954-733-2999 annsmith@excelonline.com   or smitty341@hotmail.com   Tamarac FL     

 

Jonathan Hawkins   St. Petersburg Clay Co. 727-896-2529 (CLAY)  spcc@spcc.com   www.stpeteclay.com   St. Petersburg FL The St. Petersburg Clay Co. 

 

Robs Kiln Service & Sales Co. Largo Florida 727-798-1053 From Gainsville to Ft Lauderdale

Laura Marmol  Key Biscayne, Fl   305-365-1753
lauramarmolc@yahoo.com  Electric kiln

 

Mike & Joyce, Joy-Bay Wholesale Ceramics, 727-548-8889 Pinellas Park, FL grega@joy-bay.com  http://www.joy-bay.com
 

 

Georgia
Sue Youngblood   The Crafty Fox  craftyfox@knology.net   Columbus GA   

 

Mark Issenberg Lookout Mountain Pottery 706-398-3232 ashpots@aol.com   www.lookoutmountainpottery.com    Rising Fawn GA 

 

Henrietta Paul Retta's Ramics & Gifts (229)-883-4084 laram51@hotmail.com   Leesburg, Albany Area  GA.   All ceramics, pricing- negotiable 

 

Jean Stewart,  Sunny Side Pottery  706-782-6053
mamojean@alltel.net    Tiger, GA  
 

 

Illinois
Charlie Watts Panther Creek Products, Inc. 618-965-9577 pancreekusa@egyptian.net   www.weddingspersonalized.com  Steeleville IL 

 

Kelly Schaible  Custom KitchenWare  847-736-6489 CKWdesignerKR@aol.com   www.customkitchenware.com   Crystal Lake Illinois Area IL 

 

Ed Dvorscak 815-477-2213 morrison-dvorscak@juno.com  Crystal Lake IL 

 

Indiana

 

Melodee Vicars   HandsNClay   260-402-1067  Fort Wayne, IN www.handsnclay.com     Melodee@HandsNClay.com

 

Karen Hinz, Oak Hill Studio, Monticello, IN
574-583-0796  OakHillStudio@comcast.net  

 

Kansas

 

Angela Kieler studio potter 913-894-1609 abkieler@yahoo.com Kansas City 

 

Louisiana
Terri Kennedy Potterri 225-664-7667 Terri@potterri.8m.com http://www.potterri.8m.com 
Baton Rouge LA 

 

Jerry Manuel (337) 583-7697  jerrylmanuel@netscape.net  Sulphur, LA    

 

Earl & Rae Murphy  (985) 542-2983   dremurphy@i-55.com   Hammond LA     

 

Maine
Andrea Ciak  rufusandmax@panax.com  Belfast, ME  

 

Maryland
Susan Brightman   CeramicsPlus   tangle1952@comcast.net  
49 Cedar Knoll Road Cockeysville, MD 410-666-0238 

Emily Canady threesquarecreations@gmail.com Skutt 822-3 Usual firings to cone 06 and cone 10, other temperatures can be arranged. 

Contact for pricing and questions. - Aberdeen, MD

Massachusetts 
Jessica Kleinerman, The Clayspot,   Easthampton, MA 413.529.2020  jessica@clayspot.com   www.clayspot.com   

 

Sharon Levy, Ancient Echos Arts     978-869-2912  North Chelmsford, MA   www.ancientechosarts.com   ancientechosarts@gmail.com  

 

Michigan

 

Ray Gross, SunnyLane Ceramics, White Cloud, MI  231-689-3975
ray@sunnylaneceramics.com  www.sunnylaneceramics.com  

Minnesota

 

Beth Robinson Fired Up, Inc.   612-852-2787 firedupinc@attglobal.net   www.firedupstudios.com    Minneapolis MN     

 

Mississippi

 

None sorry

 

Missouri

The Kiln Doctor

 

Cathi Newlin StudioDog   660-382-5451  Mercer, Missouri typicalgirl@stinkbalm.com   http://www.stinkbalm.com/studiodog    

 

Teresa Whitney  The Old School 573-754-5540 or 7988 teres@big-river.com   Louisiana, MO 

 

Montana
John Stromnes, Studio potter 
406-883-6684 
mudworks@compuplus.net 
POLSON, MT (8 m. north off US93) 
 

New Hampshire

 

 

 

North Carolina

 

Irene Miller  irenemiller@hotmail.com   
Fayetteville, North Carolina 
 

 

Tish Gay Eight Oaks Farm 919/496-8009 tishgay@hotmail.com Zebulon NC 

 

North Dakota

 

Brad Bachmeier   Bachmeier Pottery & Sculpture 701-271-0616   Fargo ND 

 

New Jersey

 

Cynthia Schaefer    Schaefers Studios cynthiaschaefer@email.msn.com   
Egg Harbor City NJ 

New Mexico

 

Joyce Phillips       Jo's Pottery and More 505-865-1742 ksingone@aol.com       Los Lunas out side Albuquerque NM 
 

New York

 

Kathy Potoski 845-623-1106 kathypotoski@spyral.net   West Nyack,  NY  Electric skutt 1027 Usually fire to cone 6 

 

Chris Pagano TACK Ceramics (315) 633-8032 cpagano@twcny.rr.com   http://www.ebaystores.com   Syracuse NY 

Ohio

Cindy McNamara Cindy's Country Ceramics  419 335-1343 darrylmcnamara@msn.com  Fayette,Ohio 

 

Marcina Kapusinski   StoneLight Crafts   330-686-7969 StoneLight@neo.rr.com   www.stonelightcandles.com   Stow OH 

 

Ann Judy  Starbrick Clay,  21 W. Columbus Street, Public Square, Nelsonville, Ohio, 45764  USA  740-753-1011 
starbrick@frognet.net  www.starbrick.com 

 

Oklahoma

 

Deborah Phillips    Yakimono Toki Studio   405-489-3173 Oct-Apr   studiotoki@aol.com    Cement OK (near Oklahoma City)   

 

Willa Griffin  405 590-6180 or 567-1702  willa@brightok.net
Prague, OK,  

 

Oregon

 

Michael Hammond  Trail Oregon Pottery  541 8783012
mch@mighty.net  35 miles out of Medford, OR 
 

 

Pennsylvania

 

Dave Neumann   R&T's Creative Oasis   814 237-1982 oasis1@penn.com  www.thecreativeoasis.com  State College PA 

 

Cathleen McGowan, Purring Banshee Studios, (717)337-3657
ayiloda@yahoo.com  www.purringbanshee.com  Gettysburg, PA

 

South Carolina

 

Sammy Shuford    Home Hobbiest 843-851-0242, starship@cchat.com   Summerville SC 
 

 

M.T.Arial Clay Studio South Carolina 803-772-4757 MTU18354@aol.com  Columbia and Lexington SC  

 

Kathy Brown   Kreations by Kathy 843-556-1305 kbk-carolinakiln@msn.com   Charleston SC 

 

Tennessee

 

Ted Keesee    Willow Creek Pottery   540-466-2477 tedk@bvunet.net  Bristol VA  (near Tennessee border) 

 

Texas

 

Didi Fletcher   214-718-5160   didi.fletcher@comcast.net  Plano, TX   

 

K.C. Marks ClayMarks Studio  (409)621-5618  Galveston TX 

 

Elliott Strom Wilderness Ridge Camp  512-360-2330 elliott@wildernessridge.com   www.wildernessrigde.com    Smithville, TX  

 

Kathleen Law    940-716-0715  cheysouix@wf.net   Wichita Falls TX    I have two large kilns; one Duncan that is used for ceramic pieces and fired to cone 04. The Cress is used for high fire pieces such as porcelain, etc. and fired to cone 10. Pricing as per piece; typically half the cost of the greenware with a minimum of $10 per load. I also have a small kiln for miniatures and decals of smaller items. I work a varied schedule as an engineer for the Railroad so please email me if you'd like to have me fire your pieces. I would appreciate it if you brought your desired cone but I do have a number of the more common sizes on hand. A phone call is acceptable also but if you get the answering machine, just leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible. 

 

Lily Lomeli   713-771-5199  Houston, TX  
lilylomeli@aol.com  

 

Liz Montgomery Lucky Lizard Ranch 936-756-1579 lizardrn@consolidated.net  www.luckylizardranch.com   Conroe TX 

 

Vermont
Creative Space, the Art Gym here in Rutland, Vermont. http://members.aol.com/creatvspce/ 
802/773-4350 from 11-8 M-F, 10-8 Sat, 12-4 Sun, or leave a  message. 

 

Virginia
Toni Gregory,  Gregory Studio and Ceramic Supply Studio 
1122 Westbriar Drive   Richmond, VA 23233 Work phone: 804.750.2595 FAX: 804.750.2595   potterychic@aol.com  or Gregory Studio@aol.com  

 

Melanie 
Black Rose Studio redbopeep@yahoo.com  Roanoke VA. 

 

Pat Lester,  Spun Earth Pottery 804-385-7687 pat@spunearth.com  www.spunearth.com Forest, Va 

 

Deborah Abel 
Ceramics and Crafts by Debbie 540-710-1081 dabel@va.prestige.net  Fredericksburg Va 

 

Ted Keesee    Willow Creek Pottery   540-466-2477 Ted41564@chartertn.net  Bristol VA   

 

Deborah Abel   Ceramics and Crafts by Debbie   540-710-1078 jabel@va.prestige.net   
Fredericksburg, VA 

 

Sandi Barber   Wolf'S Den Ceramics   (540) 832-0585 kcerwolf@aol.com   Barboursville, Va   

 

DAN PERKINS  540-772-0711 StrBrite00@aol.com  Roanoke,VA 

 

 

 

 

Washington

 

Pat Colyar
15030 418th Ave. SE  Gold Bar, WA 98251 (about 40 miles from Seattle) 360-793-1305  pcolyar@firetrail.com
http://www.firetrail.com/~pcolyar 

 

Wisconsin

 

Dave Ohlson DREUBENS 920-868-1446 ohlsondr@msn.com  www.dreubens.com  In egg Harbor Wisconsin wi 3 electrics 2-7cubic electrics and one 5 cubic 2 lpg gas kilns 2 raku kilns. pricing would be depending on size of pieces fire from 05 to cone 8 I have plenty of kiln to go around will load the pieces be glad to help potters who do not have kilns 

Gail Kummer   Stone School Craft Guild, LLC  262-642-7735
info@stoneschoolcrafts.com   www.stoneschoolcrafts.com
East Troy, WI