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Pit Firing In Ohio


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Hey,

 

     What are  you trying to do? 

Do you plan to bisque and put smuge marks and flashings on the vessels or are you trying to fire greenware to ceramic pots?  Indian style.

Native pottery usually depicts a type of pottery akin to a particular culture.  Of the pottery from different cultures, there are only 2 types and 2 sequences

worldwide.  Sand-tempered pottery is one type and probably the easiest and of course the two sequences are oxidation and reduction.

 

Bisqued vessels defeat the purpose if you're leaning towards traditional pottery techniques.  If you plan to bisque and put markings on them, just go by

any art dept. and the instructor can help you out.  But don't take a workshop to learn how to bisque pottery.

 

Among the better books on traditional pottery are: Primitive Pottery Techniques by Owen ...

                                                                               American Indian Pottery by Sharon Wertz

                                                                               Primitive Pottery by Carden?  I forgot.. out of print but it gets wierd toward the last chapters when they

                                                                                                                    start firing pottery with used tires.

                                                                               Ceramics for the Archaeologists by Anna Shepard (Carnegie Library of Congress)  I think.  used to be $15.

                                                                                                                                                                plus $2.00 shipping.  Very technical.  Read the 

                                                                                                                                                               first  5 chapters then use the index to answer questions.

                                                                               Traditiional Pottery of Paupau New Guinea (great!)

                                                                                Articles about the African Ivory Coast potters are usually good.

                                                                               Any book or article on Southwestern pottery is useless.

                                                                               Any book or article on bisqued pottery is useless if you're going for the greenware to ceramic route.

 

The general rule on traditional pottery is is the pots are made to sell, (Southwestern) any article will hurt instead of help.

If the pots are made to be used...(Guadalmala, African, New Guinea, etc. they're really good.

 

Just find out what you're  trying to do.  Then head in that direction.

 

Good luck,

Alabama

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey,

 

     What are  you trying to do? 

Do you plan to bisque and put smuge marks and flashings on the vessels or are you trying to fire greenware to ceramic pots?  Indian style.

Native pottery usually depicts a type of pottery akin to a particular culture.  Of the pottery from different cultures, there are only 2 types and 2 sequences

worldwide.  Sand-tempered pottery is one type and probably the easiest and of course the two sequences are oxidation and reduction.

 

Bisqued vessels defeat the purpose if you're leaning towards traditional pottery techniques.  If you plan to bisque and put markings on them, just go by

any art dept. and the instructor can help you out.  But don't take a workshop to learn how to bisque pottery.

 

Among the better books on traditional pottery are: Primitive Pottery Techniques by Owen ...

                                                                               American Indian Pottery by Sharon Wertz

                                                                               Primitive Pottery by Carden?  I forgot.. out of print but it gets wierd toward the last chapters when they

                                                                                                                    start firing pottery with used tires.

                                                                               Ceramics for the Archaeologists by Anna Shepard (Carnegie Library of Congress)  I think.  used to be $15.

                                                                                                                                                                plus $2.00 shipping.  Very technical.  Read the 

                                                                                                                                                               first  5 chapters then use the index to answer questions.

                                                                               Traditiional Pottery of Paupau New Guinea (great!)

                                                                                Articles about the African Ivory Coast potters are usually good.

                                                                               Any book or article on Southwestern pottery is useless.

                                                                               Any book or article on bisqued pottery is useless if you're going for the greenware to ceramic route.

 

The general rule on traditional pottery is is the pots are made to sell, (Southwestern) any article will hurt instead of help.

If the pots are made to be used...(Guadalmala, African, New Guinea, etc. they're really good.

 

Just find out what you're  trying to do.  Then head in that direction.

 

Good luck,

Alabama

 

Hey,

Here is a correction to the post of March 3rd.

I was trying to remember the names of the books I read 20 plus years ago.

The book I was thinking about was Pottery Technology by Owen S. Rye.  The Primitive Pottery book was by Hal Reigger.

Ceramics for the Archaeologist was right.  American Indian Pottery was written by Sharon Wirt.

There might be an article in Pottery Making Illustrated on this subject in the fall or spring.  It pertains to digging river clay and firing greenware, however

and doesn't cover any bisqueware.

(A back to basics look at pottery vessel production.)

Just out of curiosity, what were the books and articles you read?

 

Thanks,

Alabama

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm not anywhere close to Ohio, but I'm happy to help via this forum or email.

 

upinsmokepottery@gmail.com

 

Chad

 

Chad, I appreciate your offer to help. Actually I have seen your website a while ago and thought of contacting you then. I have been out of town and just returned a couple days ago. I need to get caught up on some things but will try to get back in touch in the next couple days. Thanks again. Sister Nadine

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello,

I am trying to find a potter/potters in Ohio who are knowledgable about pit firing. I would like to learn how to do it and would appreciate any help. I have read books, articles but would like to talk to someone face to face.

Thanks,

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Hi! I am new to the forum and just noticed this post. I too am from ohio. I personally don't know much about pit firing but there is a man in Ohio that I am pretty sure does that sort of thing and might even teach it. Look up yost pottery in Ohio.

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Maria Martinez book is great also. Peipenburg's video is excellent for trash can saggar firing. I bought my Anna O. Shepherd's book at the U of Penn University Museum bookstore in 1968..about the same time I got the Leach Potter's Book. Anna's book  is really falling apart but a bible for some technical info.So is the Potter's Book.

 

Marcia

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