Ceramic artist has chance to work with salt and soda kilns

Earlier this summer, ceramic artist Rob Froese was able to fire his work in two rare types of kilns - ones that use salt and soda - for the first time.
Until now, Froese, who lives in Moose Jaw, has worked with wood-fire and electric kilns.
Froese gained the new experience during a residency at the Shaw International Centre for Contemporary Ceramics in Medicine Hat, Alta.
The newly-built, state-of-the-art centre is at the Medalta Potteries National Historic Site.
During the 26-day residency in June, Froese and 14 other ceramic artists from Canada and the United States worked intensively, creating their work and firing them in the new kilns.
Froese's ceramics include cups, bowls, plates, serving tiles, sushi platters and saucers.
He felt using the salt and soda kilns suited his work, as he likes the unpredictable effects they yielded on the pieces.
He partially glazed his pieces, then put them in the kilns. Salt or soda was sprayed into the kiln, or put in with a package.
"The salt or soda explodes immediately, and reacts with the clay surfaces quite dramatically."
Froese produced 150 pieces during the residency, which is the equivalent of doing four months of work in 26 days.
It was the atmosphere at the residency that fuelled his working pace, Froese said.
"It is very satisfying to have the chance to work intensively with other artists - it charges your creative energy.
"Some of the artists were more familiar with the firing methods than others, so we all learned from each other.
"But not only did we have a chance to learn techniques, we were able to share our personal philosophies about art."
Froese will be now working on new ceramic pieces in his studio at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.
Next spring, Froese plans to go to Japan, work on new work there and then have an exhibition.
It will be a return trip, as Froese has spent several years working on ceramics in Japan.
People can view the pieces he created during the June residency at his cultural centre studio.