Prep for Aug 2 and Pics from July 7-8

Prep for pit firing on Sat Aug 2, 2pm:



Pots should be bisque fired. Use coats of porcelain terra sigillata and burnish at hard leather hard for shiny surface. Sometimes we use underglazes and low fire clear glazes.
Put your pots on the greenware shelf with a note "pit fire" to make sure we put them in the bisque kiln on Wed to come out on Fri, Aug 1. You can come with pots, or send your pots with me and I will make them beautiful.



White clay is best if you are putting the pot directly in the fire ( becomes black and white). The pictures here are from the pit firing in PA on July 7-8. We used some color great techniques demonstrated by Edge Barnes, potter from North Carolina. (www.edgebarnes.com) He has developed a style and system to produce beautiful and unique pots. It works with brown or white clay. He will be visiting at my house Aug. 2 for the pit firing and we also are planning a workshop with him in the fall. (Check in with Andy for that.)

Here's Edge ...

Jack Troy also visited (www.jacktroy.net)

Here we are prepping pots, lots to it with this technique...

Building the fire, lighting the fire. The next morning...

The pots

Pots are on display in the studio on the shelves next to the bisqueware. And more specific photos will appear here at some point, keep checking. Comments? post them...

Martha

Lots of Pottery News

The pit firing workshop in Towanda PA on Mon and Tues this week was fantastic. NC artist Edge Barnes showed his pit firing techniques and we all made some fantastic pots. Photos will be on the blog in a few days (over the weekend?!) It was a big fire. There are some pots from the workshop on display in the studio, on the shelves next to the bisque ware. Both Andy and I were there and we met some fantastic people/potters and had a great time.

I will be doing a pit firing at my house using some of those techniques! on Sat Aug 2 or Sat Aug 9, either starting at 10 am, with the fire burning all day, or starting at 4pm and the fire burning all night. Let me know if you'd like to come or send pots. We won't make such a big fire.

Andy is also talking to Edge Barnes about a weekend workshop in the fall.

Closer to home, the Johnson Museum has an exhibit of Ithaca area potters, including Andy Palmer, Jeremiah Donovan and Eric Serritella, who curated the exhibit. On Friday, July 11, tomorrow, there is an opening event from 5-7pm--Summer Party at the Johnson, check it out at http://museum.cornell.edu/HFJ/calendar/calendar.html

See me in the Studio

My friend Gary Rith likes to post a lot of pictures--you can see me in the Cornell studio yesterday at grpottersblog.blogspot.com.

Pictures from the April Pit Firing/Upcoming Firing July 7-8

Notice of upcoming pit firing workshop in Towanda, PA on July 7 and 8 with NC potter Edge Barnes--email me for more info. I will fire a bisque load on this Friday, so throw some pots today!
Also, another pit firing at my house Aug 2 or 9. More advance notice for this one!

The long awaited pit firing at my house was scheduled for April 26. It hadn't rained for two weeks, the wind was blowing like crazy and I live in a wood house. Plus, there was a ban on outside burning. I decided maybe I wouldn't light the fire that day. That night it rained about an inch, so the fire went forward the next day.

11 pots by 7 potters went into the firing. There are some on display in the pottery studio on the bookshelf next to the bisqueware.

Here are the pots before the firing:

All had been bisque fired, a couple had low fire glaze or underglaze. Most were white clay, one was brown stoneware.



Some I wrapped with copper wire, looking for nice color effects. I used 12 and 14-gauge wire because I had it. Now I know you need to use much finer wire. (next time)

I dug the pit and lined it with about 6 inches of hardwood sawdust, then nestled the pots into the sawdust. and built the fire.


After burning pretty high for a couple of house, the pit smoldered for about three more hours before I started pulling the pots out.

The next pit firing will be in August, either Saturday, Aug 2 or Aug 9, before the end of the summer session. I will do a low-fire glaze firing right before that day. Start making pots now!

Before...

After...

The pit was fired!

The long awaited pit firing at my house is now the first of many to come. It was scheduled for Saturday, April 26. It hadn't rained for about two weeks, creating dry hazardous conditions for outside fires. I went ahead and built the fire anyway, then carefully covered it. It rained 2" on Saturday night, making it safe to light on Sunday. I will post the photos soon!