Owen Rye and His Wood Kiln continued from page 7... quickly. We were in awe of his list of credentials and 40 years of experience and influence. His set up was ideal — he took us through the various areas of his kiln shed, proudly showing us his anagama kiln and then his studio, which is an old converted schoolhouse. He has even maintained the alphabet on the chalkboard as an homage to its roots. Owen taught and lectured at the University and the Canberra School of Art for many years so the set up seemed perfect for him. It was lovely to be able to examine the many pots just lying around the studio and kiln shed areas; such a different experience than seeing them in a gallery where there might be more hesitation to touch them. Australian wood firing has a unique approach and aesthetic; Owen’s influence, among others, has been instrumental 1n its creation. His task of loading the kiln seemed to get pushed further into the day as he invited us into his home for coffee and biscurts. What a treat that was! His wife came to talk to us as well and we felt very honoured to see his personal collection of pots sitting on his shelves. We each carefully selected the mugs we wanted to use and had a nice visit, all of us grinning the whole tume. When it came time to leave, we knew it wasn’t “goodbye”, but “see you at ClayEdge”. Visit www.owenrye.com for more information about Owen and many articles on wood firing. He and his wife are hoping to come to the area in the near future to give workshops so be on the lookout for them — it’s not to be missed. Next, we were off to go visit Robert Barron who lives down the way. * To be continued tn another issue. L& Sheila Mortssette iat ae : IY? 7 y POTTERS COLUMBIA Owen Rye’ studio Owen Rye’ studio