Antra Sinha is a ceramic artist, educator, and community builder in the local, national, and international ceramic community. She received her BFA & MFA from the MS University of Baroda, India. In 2002, she became an apprentice to Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith at Golden Bridge Pottery, India, where she worked for a decade. An award from the Japan Foundation took her to the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Japan for a six-month artist residency. She completed her second MFA in ceramics at Utah State University in 2015 as a STEM Fellow. She is a member of International Academy of Ceramics, on the board of ARTAXIS and currently serves as Gallery Coordinator and Art Instructor at Utah State University and lives with her husband in Logan, Utah.
“Nature fascinates me. When I see nature, I see geometry. I am inspired by the structures that emerge and evolve from the micro of the organism to the macro of the universe.
My work is guided by the material I use. I feel that, in some ways, I am the material that I am working with, I am molding clay, yet it is molding me. I feel that my mind, vital and body must work in concert to manifest the forms, which I then offer to the fire. Then I must surrender to the exogenous forces of the cosmos.” - Antra Sinha
In this four day train kiln firing workshop Antra and participants will explore a cone 10 reduction firing culminating in a reduction cool. The intent will be to focus on loading the pots in a way that we get flashing marks on visible surfaces and some wood ash build up. This workshop is suitable for participants of all levels of experience and will cover wood fire fundamentals. Our approach to learning will be inherently collaborative and encourage participants to engage in active problem solving alongside experienced guidance.
Each participant should bring enough work to fill approximately 2 cubic feet of bisque fired cone 10 work. For helpful reference a standard square (13×13×10 inch) milk crate is one cubic foot, so your work should be able to all fit with no packing material in 2 milk crates. We also encourage students to bring 5-10 extra “stuffer” pieces that are no larger than 3x2x2. These are not priority pieces, but are easy to use to fill gaps in the kiln, and can be added if there is extra space. After registration participants will receive an email with a list of comercial cone 10 clays and any extra information on the workshop.
5 Participant Maximum
Workshop Schedule:
Day-1:
Students arrived at Oki Doki Studio at 9:30 a.m. Antra will give an artist talk and discuss the group goals that frame the firing. The group will spend the day discussing glazing and loading strategies as they load the kiln together, and set a stoking schedule for the remaining two days of the firing.
Day-2 and 3:
Students work together during their agreed upon shifts to fire the train kiln. Learning about a variety of different stoking patterns, how to control the kiln, manage the coal bed, and how to reduction cool the kiln.
The kiln cools until August 1st. Students will return to the studio for opening day.
Day-4:
10 am students return to The Oki Doki Studio to open and unload the kiln, and have a group critique to digest the outcome of the firing. The group will clean up the kiln, and also talk about strategies for cleaning and finishing the fired work.
Follow Antra on instagram @antrasinhausu or visit her website https://www.antrasinha.com/.
Antra Sinha is a ceramic artist, educator, and community builder in the local, national, and international ceramic community. She received her BFA & MFA from the MS University of Baroda, India. In 2002, she became an apprentice to Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith at Golden Bridge Pottery, India, where she worked for a decade. An award from the Japan Foundation took her to the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Japan for a six-month artist residency. She completed her second MFA in ceramics at Utah State University in 2015 as a STEM Fellow. She is a member of International Academy of Ceramics, on the board of ARTAXIS and currently serves as Gallery Coordinator and Art Instructor at Utah State University and lives with her husband in Logan, Utah.
“Nature fascinates me. When I see nature, I see geometry. I am inspired by the structures that emerge and evolve from the micro of the organism to the macro of the universe.
My work is guided by the material I use. I feel that, in some ways, I am the material that I am working with, I am molding clay, yet it is molding me. I feel that my mind, vital and body must work in concert to manifest the forms, which I then offer to the fire. Then I must surrender to the exogenous forces of the cosmos.” - Antra Sinha
In this four day train kiln firing workshop Antra and participants will explore a cone 10 reduction firing culminating in a reduction cool. The intent will be to focus on loading the pots in a way that we get flashing marks on visible surfaces and some wood ash build up. This workshop is suitable for participants of all levels of experience and will cover wood fire fundamentals. Our approach to learning will be inherently collaborative and encourage participants to engage in active problem solving alongside experienced guidance.
Each participant should bring enough work to fill approximately 2 cubic feet of bisque fired cone 10 work. For helpful reference a standard square (13×13×10 inch) milk crate is one cubic foot, so your work should be able to all fit with no packing material in 2 milk crates. We also encourage students to bring 5-10 extra “stuffer” pieces that are no larger than 3x2x2. These are not priority pieces, but are easy to use to fill gaps in the kiln, and can be added if there is extra space. After registration participants will receive an email with a list of comercial cone 10 clays and any extra information on the workshop.
5 Participant Maximum
Workshop Schedule:
Day-1:
Students arrived at Oki Doki Studio at 9:30 a.m. Antra will give an artist talk and discuss the group goals that frame the firing. The group will spend the day discussing glazing and loading strategies as they load the kiln together, and set a stoking schedule for the remaining two days of the firing.
Day-2 and 3:
Students work together during their agreed upon shifts to fire the train kiln. Learning about a variety of different stoking patterns, how to control the kiln, manage the coal bed, and how to reduction cool the kiln.
The kiln cools until August 1st. Students will return to the studio for opening day.
Day-4:
10 am students return to The Oki Doki Studio to open and unload the kiln, and have a group critique to digest the outcome of the firing. The group will clean up the kiln, and also talk about strategies for cleaning and finishing the fired work.
Follow Antra on instagram @antrasinhausu or visit her website https://www.antrasinha.com/.
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