A Pit Firing Experience
This fall I have been experimenting with pit firing. With it being the oldest form of firing pottery, it is an opportunity to explore the roots of pottery and to reconnect with the base elements that create pottery. Earth, water, and fire is all that is needed to create lasting art.
I began the process with small, handbuilt vessels. I looked to Indigenous American ceramics for inspiration when creating these. Once built, I burnished the surface of some, and applied terra sigillata to some of the pots.
Now the fun part began! After doing a low bisque firing, I made some aluminum foil saggars to hold the colorants near the pottery while it was firing. I used salt, copper carbonate, and dried banana peels to create a variety of surface colors. These were wrapped up into nice little pouches. Since I don't have space in my backyard to dig a pit and have a proper place to do the firing, I decided to go camping for a night and just use the campfire for my pit. I started a fire and placed the saggars around the edge of the fire to warm up while I cooked my dinner.
Once dinner was finished and there was a nice bed of coals, I laid the saggars onto the coals, made a little wood border around them, then built a fire on top of the saggars in a log cabin style. I fed the fire for several hours and eventually the aluminum foil burned away and the pieces started peaking through the coal and wood.
Once all the wood turned to coal and ash, I shoveled the ash and some dirt over the pots to let them sit overnight. The next morning I sifted through the pile to find my pieces. I was so excited to see how they turned out! All of the pieces survived the firing, and each had their own unique colors from the smoke and materials in the saggars.
I took the pieces home and gave them a good scrub and hit a few places with sandpaper if needed. The burnishing a terra sigillata created a nice buttery smooth finish.
