Alternative Firing Workshop

Important note: 

The prep class for this event will be held at Belfast Clay studio on August 17th fron 1-4pm and must be attended by all.

Firing Weekend

• Friday Sept. 13 - Evening (5-9:00; 75 Court Street): Horsehair Firing.
• Saturday Sept. 14  (9-6:00; 75 Court Street)—Aluminum Foil Saggar Firing; Clay Saggar Firing
• Sunday Sept. 15 (9-5:00; Start at 75 Court Street for kiln opening then travel to Liberty) Barrel Firing
• Part of the time on Sat. and Sunday will be spent waiting on the fires, so there will be some flexibility to leave and return.

Alternative firing refers to a range of fast firing methods that create color and surface markings without the use of glaze. For this reason these are also referred to as Bare Clay techniques. Excluded from this definition is American raku, which is a fast firing method but typically involves the use of glazes.

Alternative firing borrows on primitive firing methods used across cultures but in North America most familiar are the coiled red and black on black pots of Native Americans in the southwest and the highly slip decorated pots from Mata Ortiz in Chihuahua Mexico.

This weekend workshop will focus on four alternative firing techniques:

1) Horsehair/Carbon Trailing: A Navajo tradition, in this simple procedure horsehair is applied to a hot pot to create carbon trails. Ferric chloride spray can be used to create accent tones of brown, orange and yellow.

2) Aluminum Foil Saggar Firing: Pots are coated in ferric chloride solution along with horsehair, salt, sugar, and other chemicals as desired and fired in aluminum foil to create unpredictable patterns of red, orange, yellow, and silver.

3) Clay Saggar Firing: Saggar means container. In this method pots are placed inside a clay container (creating a mini pit environment) along with metal, metallic oxides, salt and wood and then fired in a raku kiln. These materials create surface markings and color, depending upon materials placed in the saggar.

4) Barrel (Pit) Firing: Hosted by Joe Barberio. This technique comes closest to true pit firing. It involves firing pots in large metal drums or barrels with fuel consisting only of burning wood. Barrel firing produces black and gray pots or ones showing flashes of color created by metals and metallic salts.

Because alternative firing requires special clay, and specific processes regarding making, surface treatment and bisque firing, the workshop will have the following schedule.

Pre-Firing Introduction and Pot Preparation Session:

Four weeks before the firing weekend we’ll meet for three hours at the studio to discuss preparing pots for alternative firing. We’ll cover clay selection, pot construction, surface considerations, trimming techniques, hand burnishing, the making and use of terra sigillata, the use of mica in terra sigillata, and colored slip decoration. This will give time for making, drying and burnishing pieces and bisque firing to cone 012.

The following will be provided for you:

1) Clay 25lbs. (we will use Highwater Moon White which is resistant to cracking).

2) Burnishing stones

3) Terra Sigillata

4) Raku tongs

5) Gloves

6) Saggar materials: salt, copper carbonate, copper wire, steel wool.

7) Finishing wax and spray