with the holidays over and Winter descending ( 50 degrees here this week in N.H. - go figure ) we have decided to close the studio and not spend the money on propane to heat it. we are in rental space now, but when we build our future studio, i plan on having a
Kachelofen, a type of wood burning tiled stove providing radiant heat. the Dec. '07 issue of Ceramics Monthly ran an article about them and a ceramic artist in Canada who learned how to build them in Europe. see
http://www.stonehousepottery.com/ they are quite beautiful structures in themselves and one in a living situation would also be ideal.
here is what Mark Twain said of them in 1891
" the German stove -
Kachelofen - is by long odds the
best stove and the most
convenient and economical that has yet been invented. one firing is enough for the day; the cost is next to nothing; the heat produced is the same all day, instead of too hot and too cold by turns; one may absorb himself in his business in peace; he does not need to feel any anxieties of
solicitudes about the fire; his whole day is a realized dream of bodily comfort.
the American wood stove, of whatsoever breed, it is a
terror. there can be no tranquility of
mind where it is. it requires more attention than a baby. it has to be fed every little
while, it has to be watched all the time; and for all reward you are roasted half your time and frozen the other half. it warms no part of the room but it's own part; it breeds headaches and suffocation, and makes one's skin feel dry and feverish; and, when your wood bill comes in, you think you have been supporting a volcano. "
from " Some National Stupidities, " fromEurope and Elsewhere, Harper & Brothers, 1923because of the complex flue structure lined with a lot of thermal mass,
Kachelofens are able to radiate constant, even heat for 12 - 24 hours. the small, high
temperature fire of a
Kachelofen burns at 99% efficiency, which surpasses modern gas or oil heating systems in emission tests.
Kachelofens can be created to heat one or more rooms, installed with an oven and/or stove for cooking, designed to heat some of the home's/studio water, or used in conjunction with solar panels.
a big investment, but one worth the efficiency and aesthetics.
and remember - what would
Scooby Doo?
have a good Winter. i will post as i find things that pique my interest. i've begun thinking about what work i will do when i get back in the studio in the Spring, sketching and buying tools ( a weakness ).
adios amoebas ~
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yesterday i received notification that i have had work accepted in two national level shows. the oval baker above was selected to be part of the 16th STRICTLY FUNCTIONAL POTTERY NATIONAL which will be on exhibit at the Wayne Art Center May 27 - June 27. http://www.wayneart.org/ the entire show will then be online at: 
and this teapot will be part of INFUSION 10x10 at Craft Alliance Gallery in St.Louis May 2- May 22. http://www.craftalliance.org/ 
