Simon Levin

02/19/2026

When there's so much need out there, it's hard to justify going into the studio and making things that don't directly answer those needs. The constant feed of news is overwhelming and avoiding it doesn't feel like the answer.
It has taken some time to come to a place where I am using my studio time to fiercely claim the importance of beauty.
It's important to feed yourself so you can do the good work. It's important to make and share art because it's a reminder of the best in us. Making, buying, using beautiful objects you love and care about is a balm to pain and fear.
The impracticality of art doesn't mean it's not a necessity. It feeds the user and the maker alike.
This is a reminder to the makers out there, that their pursuits are filled with value
Please share this with other makers.

02/09/2026

Did you know that we built the first Train Kiln in Taiwan? I didn't until we were firing it. Located in southern Taiwan at JingClay.
The project was a great capstone for an amazing 2025 with my apprentices .k and

12/29/2025

I made a trophy and gave a surprise award at my soccer club's annual banquet. Springfield International Soccer Club.

12/07/2025

This is a story of three firings. While and .k and I were in Taiwan for a residency we decided to build a small soda kiln. It is a slightly different version of the rocket kiln we designed and built in Illinois. The one in Illinois works like a champ, it can climb 500 degrees an hour early on in the firing and often needs to be held back. This is a different story.
Slide 1. The foundation.
Slide 2. Walls going up.
Slide 3. Chimney being built
Slide 4. The first firing
Slide 5. The Kiln would hardly draw, it got stuck around 300 degrees Celsius, so we cooled and loosened the stack. The pots were fuzzy with carbon.
Slide 6. We muscled through that firing and got cone 8 or so on top. The bottom was cold and the pots didn't look very good. We also had our soda sprayer jam and the bottle containing the dry mix of soda ash and baking soda exploded. Ugh.
Slide 8. We rebuilt the fire box to hold more wood, and have a better aeration grate.
Slide 9. We also added to the chimney to increase the draught.
Slide 10. A better firing. No exploding soda. The bottom was cold but the top was hot. Also the firing took too long, about 20 hours.
Slide 11. Third firing. We added another air port to the firebox, stacked the top tighter and the bottom looser.
Slide 12. Our soda process was much slicker. Moving quickly between ports.
Slide 13. Some lovely pots, a little cold (cone 8) on the bottom, but juicy. Still the firing took too long, 20 hours.
Slide 14. Thecups and ceramic tray/lid for this box were all fired in this kiln.
Teaching kiln building with my apprentices has been a lot of fun. Slapping together and problem solving a kiln like this has cemented so much knowledge and demystified the process, increasing confidence, imagination and potential.

12/06/2025