JoeBruhin

"By being in harmony with the elements and forces of nature the work becomes a sacrificial offering surrendered to the flames and reborn, it aspires towards the ideal of timeless beauty. Complacency is not an option. Each firing gives information to grow from and inspires me to dive deeper, which keeps the work fresh and enables me to express with heart and spirit. My goal and ideal is to make objects of beauty that have a transcending quality which can inspire another human being, bring a little joy or add a positive presence to one's living environment. For me, working with clay and being a fire artist is a vehicle for spiritual growth. One can say that my pots are offerings or prayers and my kiln the temple to manifest them."

My kiln is an Anagama, which translates to cave kiln, it is half buried underground and measures 40 feet long. It requires ten days of constant attending and ten cords of split pine to achieve the results I seek and to complete one firing. The works from this kiln have a natural glaze, I do not apply glaze to the pots. The color and texture is caused by the climate, age and type of wood being used, atmospheric conditions inside the kiln caused by my intuition and experience, placement of the works, wood ash from the burning fuel melting into the clay, fire flashing the work and coals being maintained on the pots themselves. The blending of these variables results in endless variety of effects. For more information on Joe's work, visit http://joebruhin.com or e-mail Joe at JoeBruhin@gmail.com.