I was goofing around and pinched some balls of clay a whole bunch while spinning them in my palm and then scraped the walls as they dried, then rubbed them with a pebble to smooth these little wobbly cup like pots and they’re really weird and wonky and more sculptural than anything…but they kind of have my heart.

These were made from a light porcelain stoneware clay, fired once in the studio, then tucked into individual pouches of aluminum and sprinkled in combustibles, mostly from the chickens: pine shavings with all kinds of droppings, poo, feathers, grain and seeds, eggs shells, and dried leaves and vines from the garden and some steel wool for good measure. They went into a wood fire pit, were stoked to around 1600° degrees, then were deprived of oxygen and left to cool over 24 hours. The effects are a result of letting go and letting the elements do what they will. You’ll see swirls, wisps, and clouds of smokey blacks and grays laid over the white clay, with some darker impressions where high density matter has combusted, and occasional smatterings of rusty oranges and even pinks where the metals interacted.  But because it’s me…mostly black and grays.

These pit fired pots are something quite special.

See the Finishes page for making photos.

-Pit fired pottery is unglazed and not fired to full temperature so the clay is not vitrified (fully mature) and therefore the microscopic particles are more open (porous). 

-I’ve not made any pit fired work that would be use for food consumption, but I have taken measure to make the pieces more water tight.

-The pots have been sealed inside and out with the miracle juice the industry knows as liquid quartz sealer. It is food safe and acts to make water bead against the treated surface. 

-I also waxed and buffed the exteriors of the pots, because it’s protective and makes them pretty.

Measures approximately 5” across and 1 1/2” high.

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Each piece of LULA Pottery is made by my hands, and you should expect to see natural variations brought about by a human touch.

$5 of every purchase $35 and over is donated directly to the World Central Kitchen-See Giving page for details.