The soda kiln is ready for firings!
Tracy Gordon, Potter
My first pottery teacher had a barn where she would allow students to come fire raku and her soda kiln. We all felt that it was a little piece of heaven to be able to go out there and exercise our full potter selves. Now that I am building my own soda kiln situated in a scenic spot, I want to share that feeling with others. I hope to impart that feeling through my pots and through hosting workshops at Overlook Ahead.
I took my first pottery class when I finished a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, not wanting all of the time I had budgeted for studying to evaporate back into my job. In addition to years of classes with Fran Newquist at Manassas Clay, I have been fortunate to take a number of workshops and classes with extraordinary potters (in alphabetical order): John Britt, Ryan Coppage, Josh Copus, Kevin Crowe, Joan Gardiner, Denise Joyal, Michael Kline, Ben Richardson, Akira Satake, Jack Troy and Bill van Gilder. I also attended the first Sodaposium in April, 2022.
Our Campus
Our campus is about 25 minutes off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is the National Park Service’s most-visited park in the country. The top of our ridge is cleared and has a spectacular westerly view of Grandfather Mountain, Table Rock, Hawksbill Peak, Brown Mountain and numerous mountain layers in between. The rest of the property is wooded with the area’s famously photogenic mountain laurels and rhododendrons, as well as oak, red maple and pine trees. Our home is nestled among the trees, as is our small, off-grid log cabin for guests. Onsite solar panels provide electricity for the cabin, and its water is pumped from a mountain spring at the bottom of the ridge. Rock outcroppings and forested trails grace our campus and are available for you to explore. The pottery studio is located in the lower level of our home, just a short stroll from the cabin.
The Kiln Site
Our kiln pad is situated between our home and guest cabin, with a rock formation alongside the covered pavilion.
The view is different every time you look.
We love to talk about pottery, wild clay, and the places special materials can be found. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Inquiries
If you have any questions or would like to discuss arranging a workshop, please contact us via email.
Tracy Gordon
tracy@overlookaheadpottery.com
