Hand Crafted Sculpted and Functional - Stoneware and Porcelain Pottery

Most of my art career I've focused experimenting with works on paper, lithographic printmaking, collage, book making, and primarily watercolor painting. In 2006 my family and I moved to Northwest Indiana and I took up pottery, first as an exploration with the medium, but quickly becoming totally obsorbed in throwing and hand building. My artistic passion now is totally focused on pottery. The first three years making pottery were at LillStreet Studios in Chicago. During 2010 I began working at LillStreet's Lakeside Michigan studio and continue using that studio to this day. But... I am now in the process of building my own kiln with the special construction skills of Matthew Gaddy (an exceptional wood fire potter) at my "Work in Progress" studio at my home residence near New Carlisle Indiana. The kiln is named and dedicated to the memory my mother Joyce L. Skinner. Below are photos and comments on the kiln's construction progress. Photos by Louise Belmont-Skinner and Steven Skinner. Click photos for enlargement.

Surveying and marking the foundation.	Double checking foundation dimensions.	Digging the foundation.
Zac	Pouring concrete.	Steven
The Finished Pad	My Handprint	First dug postholes
Cat on a Ladder	Poles in Holes	Annie and Jennie
Gal and Dogs	Framing as of Sept. 1	Days End, Sept. 11
Red Roof	Roofed Sept. 13	Roofed Sept. 13

Cat Inspector.

Fire bricks

Refurbished Doors

Matthew

Patrick

Steve

The kiln body being finished, it's time next to work on the chimney.
I was fortunate to have a friend and neighbor give me bricks left over from a job.