Professor Matt Long invited students to participate in firing ceramics in a woodfired kiln at his home last weekend, February 13th-14th. Long received a MFA at Ohio University in 1997, and a BFA from The Kansas City Art Institute in 1995. He is currently an Assistant Professor at The University of Mississippi, teaching ceramics. He has been a potter for 22 years, and currently resides in Oxford, Mississippi where he teaches and has a studio at home.
Graduate students, professors and friends stayed up late to continually push chopped wood through these tunnels under the kiln. The woodfire itself lasted for about 48 hours.
Long also took the time to show us how to make handmade deer-tail paintbrushes. Of course, he did not demonstate how to kill the deer, however, after one gathers the fresh deer tails, they must be split open and cured with rock salt.
After the curing process is complete, Long fashions these bristly tufts into brush tips.
Waste Not, Want Not! I was thrilled to witness yet another way that Mississippians use as many parts of the animal that they hunt as is possible! It was fascinating.
Thanks Professor Long!!
No comments:
Post a Comment