From the Life of a Potter

March is the month of NCECA (NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR EDUCATORS IN THE CERAMIC ARTS). It is the National Conference that is part learning, shopping, workshops, meeting up with old friends from across the country and having a grand ‘ole time.

This year NCECA was in frigid Wisconsin. I remember those conferences which have in the past been a refuge for our cold NY winters. Last year it was in Houston and a few years back it was in Tampa. I prefer flip flops to mukluks anytime.

I went with my friend and kiln partner Deb Rosenbloom to a pre-NCECA workshop with three fantastic potters. Ken Bichel, a kiln master from Dubuque Iowa, Ching Yuan Chang, a potter from Taiwan, and Joy Brown, a sculptor from Connecticut, shared their methods for making and firing pottery. The workshop was held at Bethel Horizons at the Adamah Center in Dodgeville, WI..........brrrrrrrr!

Ken and Deb and I have fired together many times so this was a reunion for us. I hope Ken will design and build our new Salt/Soda Kiln this spring. I learned much in technique from both Ching Yuan and Joy Brown.

All of this travel to the conferences result in a great desire to ‘get back to work’! Here’s to another wonderful NCECA experience.

Lynn - New Prospect Pottery