Kiln Maintenance and Firing with Leonard Smith

Learn from the expert, Leonard Smith.

https://leonardsmith.com.au/

This workshop will cover a range of essential topics, including:

• - An introduction to kiln packing and firing.
• - Firing schedules and programmable controllers.
• - Understanding pyrometric cones
• - Best practices for packing and unpacking.
• - Kiln shelves and kiln washes.
• Q & A and personalized one-on-one guidance.

Academic Qualifications.

Ceramics Certificate. National Art School. East Sydney Technical College.
Diploma in Teaching. (Dip., Tch.) Sydney Teachers College.
Post Certificate in Ceramics National Art School East Sydney Technical College.
Master of Arts, Visual Arts. (MA.VA.) Sydney College of the Arts.

Professional Experience

President of The Potters Society of Australia (twice)
Vice President Crafts Council of NSW
Editor of Pottery in Australia
Head Fine Arts Hornsby TAFE
Deputy Head National Art School
Currently President of the Ceramic Study Group
Selected Exhibitions.
44 Selected Exhibitions. (Since 1980)
One Person Shows.
18 Solo Exhibitions since 1980

Collections

The Powerhouse Gallery, Sydney
The National Art School, ESTC, Sydney
The NSW State Parliamentary Library
The NSW Ministry of The Arts
Manly Municipal Council
University of Sydney
Queen Victoria Museum , Hobart ,Tasmania
Liverpool College of TAFE
Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE
City of Koblenz, Germany
Wollongong University
Kasahara University, Kasahara Town, Gifu Prefecture, Japan

Overseas Travel

Most of my travel has had an educational element and I have tended to specialize in
research trips to Asia including: Sabah North Borneo, the Philippines for the Australia
Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Papua New Guinea on behalf
of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and International Ceramics Forum, Hangzhou, China
From 2014 to 2019 Shuiji, Fujian Province, China. Excavation of Jain Ware shards and
exploration and collection of local materials which form the essential components of the
clays and glazes of Jian Ware from the Song Dynasty.
Research trip to USA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, The Boston Museum of
Art, Boston, The Howard Sackler Museum of Art, Harvard University, The Museum of
Fine Art, University of Michigan, The Bentley History Museum, Michigan University, The
University of Michigan’s Museum of Archaeology, Sotheby’s NYC Auction House during
Asia Week in NYC.
From 2015-2020i Jingdezhen, China, looking at Porcelain production.
Presentation at the Metropolitan Museum, New York,
2021 Inaugural presentation “The Makers Eye,” a discussion of my own work and the
critique of two other Ceramic Artists in the collection” for the Artists series at the Manly
Art Gallery and Museum.

Publications

“A Handbook For Australian Potters”, published in hard cover, by Methuen in May 1984.
The book runs to 500 pages and is a textbook for ceramic students throughout
Australia. (co-authors, J. De Boos and S. Harrison.)
“A Low Cost Kick Wheel” has been published as a booklet by “Pottery in Australia”. It
has been distributed widely in Australia and accompanied a travelling exhibition on
contemporary craft to Europe and Asia.
A further 60 published articles in Pottery in Australia and The Journal of Australian
Ceramics
Photograph, Ceramic Creative, Vol. 36(2) p35-36, West Germany, a photograph of my work and a
biography.
Photograph, Saltglaze Koblenz, catalogue of the "International Saltglaze Exhibition
1986", photograph and biographical details.
Biography and Photograph, “Clay Statements”, A book on contemporary ceramics in Australia
includes biographical photograph and essay, plus photographs of the work that toured in 1987.
Biography, “Artists in Australia”. by Max Germain. Ure Smith. 1992.
Catalogue. “Myth Magic and Madness” 20 pages, 21 illustrations. Manly Art Gallery and
Museum. 1993.
2013-Ongoing. Maintaining the Blog on leonardsmith.com.au
2014-Ongoing. Established the research blog on tenmoku.org