Three Hedgehogs

Each of these three hedgehog forms was first thrown on the potter's wheel as a closed form, then altered by paddling, pinching and adding more clay to create the image of a hedgehog. The three pieces were fired together in a wood-fire kiln (2200 degrees) over 3-days' time, with constant stoking of the kiln by a team of potters who had work in the kiln. During the fire, wood-ash falls onto each piece, marking the surface as the fire passes over it. Where the piece is in the kiln will determine the pattern on the surface. The many spines on the hedgehogs picked up the flashing of the fire, which animates the forms.