Ready to glaze and fire?

Story and photos by Joshua Maloni
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, February 3, 2007

Cindy Bersani, owner of Ready? Glaze. Fire! in Lewiston instructs students and visitors in the art of making pottery.

If you’re like this writer, your knowledge of pottery is limited to Play-Doh and that scene in “Ghost” with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. The truth is, there’s a whole lot more to pottery and ceramics than a gray goo glob, a spinning wheel and The Righteous Brothers.

At Ready? Glaze. Fire!, 419 Center St., Lewiston, a person can take a class and make ceramics the old fashioned way, if they so desire. But, they can also come in and paint a functional piece of premade pottery – say a plate or vase – and use it as a food serving dish or flower holder. Or, they can purchase a premade, prepainted object – like a serving bowl – and pair it with spaghetti sauce and pasta to make a gift set.

Beyond that, if you’re not into pottery, RGF is a fun place to spend an evening, as four pharmaceutical technicians from Pine Pharmacy did recently. Looking for a “Girl’s Night Out,” the women came to the store to try their hand at painting.

“It’s something different – a chance to do some girl bonding,” Yvonne Roehre said. “This is fun.”

Though the ladies were far from professionals – “We’re winging it,” Sandi Brillhart said – each took pride in her work and planned to use created pieces.

After all, there’s more to pottery than simply getting your hands dirty.

“The concept seems kind of new to folks,” RGF owner Cindy Bersani said. “A lot of people come in here and say, ‘Oh, that’s really neat, how do I do this?’ ”

The onetime art major began experimenting with stained glass and glass fusing. She took a workshop on making pottery with a kiln and said, “It was very addictive.”

Bersani purchased a kiln – a large, enclosed, circular bin that, despite its temperature (more than 1900 degrees in some cases), is safe, thanks to preprogramming options. Now the owner of two kilns, Bersani opened RGF last summer.

“It was really positive,” she said of the reaction she received. “A lot of people were excited about it.”

In most cases, shoppers come in to paint a piece of bisque, or premade pottery. RGF features more than 500 items, many of which are suitable for everyday use. After a short, informal orientation where staff provides a color chart and supplies, it’s up to the participant to make his own piece of art.

“A lot of people come in and say, ‘I have no creativity,’ ” Bersani said. “It’s like, you know what? You can do this.”

The final stage in the process is dipping the painted bisque in a clear, food-safe glaze. RGF fire staff does this last step, as well as placing the object in the kiln. After more than half a day in the heat, the piece is pulled out and is allowed to set. The finished project, shinier and spill-proof, is ready for pickup about a week later.

Ready? Glaze. Fire! is open from noon to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. At RGF, the average piece of premade pottery is around $20. Classes, wherein a participant uses the wheel while being instructed by a professional, are $450. For more information, call 754-4400.