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Pots on this page are pit fired. 
This method is similar to saggar firing,
in that both methods rely on the variables of smoke and combustible materials to create colors and patterns on burnished bisqueware. 
The methods are different in that saggar firing
requires a higher temperature and more controlled firing conditions in a kiln, whereas pit firing is done outdoors and is more variable.
This piece was fired in the brick pit
Ginny and our friend Don Goodrich built in our back yard. The clay is a high-fire white porcelainous stoneware, burnished with a teflon rib.
It was wrapped with a copper wire
and the red flashes are caused by copper and salt in the pit around the pots.
These pieces were fired in our new in-ground pit at the bottom of our front yard. Ginny does most of the pit firing; I make all the pots!
In May, 1999, we hosted a potter from England for 3 weeks.
Elizabeth Michl came to the United States on holiday (vacation)
hoping to meet lots of other potters. Our house was just
one of many stops on Elizabeth's trip.
Elizabeth's work is all pit fired. She uses a terra sig
made from her claybody to achieve a good fit between
the pot and sig.
Elizabeth lost no time making a sig from my claybody
and we both made pots for a pit firing in our back yard.

Elizabeth sits watching the pit and waiting to stoke the fire.
She expanded the size of our pit by about a foot
in diameter and doubled the walls for insulation
because our pit is made from house brick left over
from our home construction last year.

The pit, covered with tin roofing, smokes away.
The firing takes six hours to complete, and the pit has to be
constantly stoked to keep the temperature high in order to
get good coloration on the pots. It's a hot, smoky job,
but the end result is worth the work.

 

Well, we wanted to open the pit, but Ginny said,
"Not without me, you don't!" Elizabeth and I got up at
0600 hours the next day to open the kiln before Ginny
went to work. That's my hand, making note of the fact
that it's still pretty warm in there!

 

 

Ta-daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! The pit-fired product, sitting on
the pit walls.

 


We couldn't get Vanna White at such short notice, so Elizabeth is
our spokesmodel at 6 am. After brushing off the soot and ash,
the pots are coated with wax and buffed to a shine. 
They are then ready to go to their new homes and we are ready
to go back to bed.
To see other works by Elizabeth Michl, click here. 
Elizabeth is a member of the
Midland Potters Association in England.

Works by Elizabeth Michl

Stoneware
Raku
Pit Fired