Smoke Fired Sculptural Vessel IV
Utilizing several methods of construction, the bases of these larger sculptural pieces are thrown on the wheel and are built upon using clay coils. The forms are then paddled, scraped, shaved and smoothed into shape. At the near dry stage, they are burnished by rubbing a smooth stone vigorously over to the pot to compress the clay, which offers up a slight sheen after the firing process.
The pit fired pieces are something quite special, and with each season offer new interest. The winter 2024 batch features dried hops vines from the yard. (Tenacious beasts that grow practically in concrete and scale the entire front of the garage.) On most pieces, some more subtle or pronounced than others, you will be able to locate the marks and masked outlines of individual and clusters of hops blossom, vine, and leaves.
Thrown in a light porcelain stoneware combined clay and fired once in the studio kiln, draped in organic material from the chicken coop: wood shavings, droppings, errant feathers, grain and seeds, clippings from the garden, and the occassional metal filings, tucked into individual pouches of aluminum then fired in the studio yard pit where the combustibles ignite to create layers and depth, marking and masking in turn, smoke penetrating bare clay leaving abstract impressions and manifesting a galaxy in a single pot.
Each listing is for a specific piece, photographed from several sides and angles.
* I consider this perhaps my best piece of this process to date, it is larger and more dramatic than the others listed in this sale, but I would be remiss if I did not point out the superficial vertical hairline split near the center rim on one side, see final photo. It does not affect the integrity of the piece and those who did not make it assure me it goes unnoticed, but of course it is all I can see. I have priced this accordingly.*
Measures approximately 12” tall, 10” across, and 8” wide at it’s thickest point.
See the Pit Fire page for making photos.
Technical Bits
-Pit fired pottery is unglazed and not fired fully so the clay is not vitrified ( mature) and therefore more open (porous).
-While I’ve not made any pit fired work that would be use for food consumption, I have taken measure to make the pieces more water tight using food grade sealant.
-I also wax and buff the exteriors of the pots, because it’s protective and makes them pretty.
Each piece of LULA Pottery is made by my hands, and you should expect to see natural variations brought about by human touch.
$5 of every purchase $35 and over is donated directly to the World Central Kitchen-See Giving page for details.
Utilizing several methods of construction, the bases of these larger sculptural pieces are thrown on the wheel and are built upon using clay coils. The forms are then paddled, scraped, shaved and smoothed into shape. At the near dry stage, they are burnished by rubbing a smooth stone vigorously over to the pot to compress the clay, which offers up a slight sheen after the firing process.
The pit fired pieces are something quite special, and with each season offer new interest. The winter 2024 batch features dried hops vines from the yard. (Tenacious beasts that grow practically in concrete and scale the entire front of the garage.) On most pieces, some more subtle or pronounced than others, you will be able to locate the marks and masked outlines of individual and clusters of hops blossom, vine, and leaves.
Thrown in a light porcelain stoneware combined clay and fired once in the studio kiln, draped in organic material from the chicken coop: wood shavings, droppings, errant feathers, grain and seeds, clippings from the garden, and the occassional metal filings, tucked into individual pouches of aluminum then fired in the studio yard pit where the combustibles ignite to create layers and depth, marking and masking in turn, smoke penetrating bare clay leaving abstract impressions and manifesting a galaxy in a single pot.
Each listing is for a specific piece, photographed from several sides and angles.
* I consider this perhaps my best piece of this process to date, it is larger and more dramatic than the others listed in this sale, but I would be remiss if I did not point out the superficial vertical hairline split near the center rim on one side, see final photo. It does not affect the integrity of the piece and those who did not make it assure me it goes unnoticed, but of course it is all I can see. I have priced this accordingly.*
Measures approximately 12” tall, 10” across, and 8” wide at it’s thickest point.
See the Pit Fire page for making photos.
Technical Bits
-Pit fired pottery is unglazed and not fired fully so the clay is not vitrified ( mature) and therefore more open (porous).
-While I’ve not made any pit fired work that would be use for food consumption, I have taken measure to make the pieces more water tight using food grade sealant.
-I also wax and buff the exteriors of the pots, because it’s protective and makes them pretty.
Each piece of LULA Pottery is made by my hands, and you should expect to see natural variations brought about by human touch.
$5 of every purchase $35 and over is donated directly to the World Central Kitchen-See Giving page for details.
Utilizing several methods of construction, the bases of these larger sculptural pieces are thrown on the wheel and are built upon using clay coils. The forms are then paddled, scraped, shaved and smoothed into shape. At the near dry stage, they are burnished by rubbing a smooth stone vigorously over to the pot to compress the clay, which offers up a slight sheen after the firing process.
The pit fired pieces are something quite special, and with each season offer new interest. The winter 2024 batch features dried hops vines from the yard. (Tenacious beasts that grow practically in concrete and scale the entire front of the garage.) On most pieces, some more subtle or pronounced than others, you will be able to locate the marks and masked outlines of individual and clusters of hops blossom, vine, and leaves.
Thrown in a light porcelain stoneware combined clay and fired once in the studio kiln, draped in organic material from the chicken coop: wood shavings, droppings, errant feathers, grain and seeds, clippings from the garden, and the occassional metal filings, tucked into individual pouches of aluminum then fired in the studio yard pit where the combustibles ignite to create layers and depth, marking and masking in turn, smoke penetrating bare clay leaving abstract impressions and manifesting a galaxy in a single pot.
Each listing is for a specific piece, photographed from several sides and angles.
* I consider this perhaps my best piece of this process to date, it is larger and more dramatic than the others listed in this sale, but I would be remiss if I did not point out the superficial vertical hairline split near the center rim on one side, see final photo. It does not affect the integrity of the piece and those who did not make it assure me it goes unnoticed, but of course it is all I can see. I have priced this accordingly.*
Measures approximately 12” tall, 10” across, and 8” wide at it’s thickest point.
See the Pit Fire page for making photos.
Technical Bits
-Pit fired pottery is unglazed and not fired fully so the clay is not vitrified ( mature) and therefore more open (porous).
-While I’ve not made any pit fired work that would be use for food consumption, I have taken measure to make the pieces more water tight using food grade sealant.
-I also wax and buff the exteriors of the pots, because it’s protective and makes them pretty.
Each piece of LULA Pottery is made by my hands, and you should expect to see natural variations brought about by human touch.
$5 of every purchase $35 and over is donated directly to the World Central Kitchen-See Giving page for details.