Soda Tumbler #030

Wheel-thrown soda fired tumbler - this piece has so many good soda things happening - it got hit with a lot of soda ash during the firing, which made the glazes run and blend into each other, and the clay turned toasty and grey in places. Because it got hit with so much soda ash, the glaze ran a bit - the bottom has been sanded smooth so there’s a little mark on the bottom from where it ran - this is an exciting part of the process that makes it truly one-of-a-kind. You could stare at this piece every day and still find new colors and exciting moments in the glaze and finish.

5” tall x 3.25” holds 14 oz.

microwave/dishwasher/food safe

What does it mean that a piece is soda fired? In short, each piece from the soda kiln is different and I’m never going to be able to repeat the same result again. We fire our soda kiln at MudFire Studio as a team, and it requires several days of work as we load the kiln, fire it, and unload a few days after it’s cooled down. Each time we unload the kiln, it’s like getting to see a whole bunch of gifts.

The beauty of firing as a group means we get a variety of colors from our glazes, since each glaze and each piece reacts differently inside the atmosphere of the kiln, and they react and interact with each other inside the kiln as it fires. The glazes and clay, the soda ash we add in while the kiln is firing, combined with the way we fire our soda kiln as a team - creates magical pieces, making matte glazes drippy, letting glazes run into each other on the piece, and allowing one glaze to show a myriad of colors.

Curious about more of the process? Check out my instagram for some process videos of firing and unloading the soda kiln.