By Felicity Bodycoat
Photos By Matthew Russell
The weather gods were kind with a beautiful sunny afternoon in September as a group of 14 eager potters gathered once again at Liz Berry’s home in Glen Forrest for the CAWAA pit fire workshop.
Everyone was invited to bring along 5 bisque fired ceramic pieces each to place with a vast array of styles and forms of work from vessels to figurines. After much deliberation over what materials and chemical additives to add to each piece and whether to wrap in a foil saggar or not, the pieces were carefully placed in the pit and the fire lit.
Not only was this a great opportunity to learn about alternative firing techniques, it was also a fabulous social occasion, sitting around the fire enjoying a glass of wine and dinner watching the sometimes iridescent flames flicker.
The intention was to unveil the results the next day but the fire was so successful it was still too hot to open the pit. We all gathered a week later and there was much oohing and aahing as the results were revealed. It is safe to say that everyone was very pleased with the outcome!
The event was a great success and a lot of fun. Thanks to Liz for the use of her studio and pit, and to Judy Nastov and Katrina Rogers for their expertise.
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