RE-LIGHTING THE KILN

Things we often take for granted – such as standard plates and other dishes bought from our local supermarket – take a lot of passion and labor when done manually.

Clay is something that’s inanimate but is also highly shapeable and at times has a mind and/or life of its own. Tricks and techniques are key to manipulating the clay to shape and mold to one’s liking.

This creative artistry is alive at Mt. Hood Community College, where after being sidelined by the COVID pandemic, the Clay Club is back in full swing again.

Headed by Mt. Hood’s ceramics director, John Hasegawa, club members boast collective pottery experience of 50 years or more. The goods they make all year, including those for fundraising sales that support visiting artists and expert workshops on campus open to all, are top-notch.

The Clay Club is student-run, noted Hasegawa, who has led the program for five years and taught the craft at least 17 years.

“Everyone is welcomed to participate in what we do,” he said.

The sales help bring visiting expert artists to teach their craft to newer members. An example is Martha Grover, a Massachusetts artist who sells intricately created porcelain pieces.

Funds also go toward new and updated equipment for the final process of producing students’ finished pieces, such as purchasing wood for their woodfueled kiln.

There are three key steps to finished ceramics products: The shaping, or what club members call “throwing”; the drying, painting or glazing stage; and finally, the kiln or “firing” stage.

Club member Donna Dish explained the three kiln types: electric, gas, and wood.

Electric kilns are most commonly used (fired by oxidation, where oxygen is present, which produces a consistent product). In gas kilns, there’s no oxidation and an inconsistent product might result. Then there are wood-burning kilns, a technique used for thousands of years and that have a certain effect from their smoke that makes each piece of pottery unique.

“What goes in is mud and what comes out is vitrified glass,” Dish said. “You can’t control everything in the kiln; you have to let things unfold on its own. That’s where the magic happens.”

A retired firefighter, Dish has been making pottery since age 17. Among the veteran throwers in the current MHCC ceramics class, she’s happy to share her knowledge with others. She chose to study at Mt. Hood program because of its notable instructors and people surrounding it.

“It’s prestigious and an honor to be a part of this,” she said.