Updates Summer through Winter 2016

We are currently updating  and reorganizing the website. We will be moving the updates and most current posts to the blog. So this first post will be a recap of info that is already on the current project overview with a few new tidbits.

Best,

HP

At present: This summer we welcomed our first complete group of 6 resident artists whom have been involved in making their work as well as helping around the property. The residents' three bedroom house is complete, and the 1800 sq ft barn just needs doors and a wood stove. This barn building is for firewood storage and preparation, wood working, clay and equipment storage, as well as clay mixing.

The 5000 sq ft studio and kiln building have passed final inspection and we will begin work on the loft section of the studio this winter. The train kiln's inaugural firing in May 2015 was smooth and the results were very good and it has been fired successfully a number of times since. In November of 2016, we completed the wood/gas, soda kiln and have fired it twice. We will begin construction of the anagram kiln this winter and plan to fire as soon as it is complete. We have also installed two Bailey updraft gas kilns along with a Cress electric kiln as well as having built a small woodfired pizza oven at the studio.

Other projects of interest include an 8,000 gallon water tank, which we installed in October and plumbed up to a property wide fire suppression system. In November, we began working on a 10,000 gallon koi pond that is tied into a aquaponic garden and the fire suppression system. We are currently busy with clearing brush and trimming trees in order to maintain a fire safe property.  The residents have also been gathering, splitting and storing wood to heat the studio and resident house as well as for firings.

This spring we are looking forward to installing mushroom beds as well as doing more work in the newly terraced, fenced and irrigated garden. In April, we will also be introducing a beehive to the garden and hopefully a second bee colony in the orchard eventually.

Future near and far: As soon as the studio is functional the plan is to construct a ¾ acre pond just south of the studio. The pond will serve as fire protection, plant and wildlife habitat, and an opportunity to farm fish as part of a sustainable lifestyle that will be practiced and explored on the property. Up the hill from the resident complex will be the demonstration garden and nursery. The more successful trees and plants from around the property will be propagated and made available to the public.