Fine Mess Pottery

Lori Watts of Fine Mess Pottery in Augusta is working hard to get ready for the tour! Lori fires a sprung-arch, soda-vapor kiln in her backyard, which she built herself. "The kiln is my pride and joy," she says. "Well, after my garden. Please ask to see it!"

Soda-firing creates durable stoneware with distinctive markings and glaze patterns left by the path of the flame on the ware. The kiln is fired with propane; when it reaches nearly its hottest point, Lori tosses wet wood curls mixed with baking soda and soda ash into the flames. The soda promptly vaporizes, then interacts with the silica in clay and glaze to form a layer of soda glass (glaze) on everything it touches in the kiln. After the firing temperature is reached, Lori shuts down the kiln, carefully blocking all the ports so no cool air can rush into the kiln and crack the ware: slow cooling is essential! The kiln takes two days to reach the point where it can be unloaded.

Here are some examples of Fine Mess Pottery soda-fired stoneware

Fine Mess Pottery is glad to welcome guest artist Karen Dyer Discenso for the weekend. Karen makes beautiful functional stoneware inspired by the Maine coast.