Salt. Soda, and Surface Decoration

In this nine-day workshop, Lael Chmelyk will take participants through the atmospheric firing process from start to finish.

Lael Chmelyk (BFA ’20, Ceramics) runs this 9-day workshop at Medalta in Medicine Hat, Alberta. 

While the firing of salt and soda will be a focus, students will also learn methods and techniques to decorate and apply surfaces to raw pots. Firing to a mid-range temperature in a neutral atmosphere, students can engage with the kiln to decorate collaboratively. Glazing and firing will be approached as a step in a larger process rather than a separate task.  

Working to enhance and decorate work in all stages of the ceramic process, including slip layering, inlays, resists, glazing, printing, textural elements, and initial formal considerations in the making will be covered. As well as technical demos, students will begin developing a sense of which imagery/narratives their surfaces will employ. Experience working with clay is required; however, experience firing atmospheric kilns is optional.