Blackware Firing in Duluth MN

On a chilly Sunday October day up in Duluth my  long time friend and fellow collaborator Karin Kraemer of Duluth Pottery and Tile decided to do a Blackware firing. Her crew at her shop which included my daughter Elliot who is interning for her set up a site in her yard to cook up some pots using organic material like leaves, pine needles, salt and sawdust to create smoke flashings. Plus some metals like copper wire and copper carbonate to get some colors to shine through. Karin a master of this Blackware technique who used to fire three times a week when she was a tech back in the day.

She was the grand master working the fire and giving everyone tips on how to get the best marks on their pieces. There were traditional pots and lots of little creatures and some small sculptures being fired up. The Blackware firing sometimes called a pit fire both are similar with the effect on the clay surfaces but different tools to make them. Karin used a 50 gallon barrel as the outside of the kiln. Which has the bottom cut out of it. Then there is a smaller 30 gallon metal barrel with holes punched in it to allow heat to be regulated more evenly. She said usually there are three barrels all together so slow down the fire from get too hot to fast. But she said she has had a hard time finding that middle size barrel lately.

The key she said was to slowly get the clay warmed up. As the clay was not bisque fired already. It was raw dried clay pieces and you have to always go slow so not cause the clay to crack or explode from the heat. If any water or trapped air bubble are in the clay pieces a rapid heat can cause them to explode. So while we are waiting for the fire to warm up the clay and us luckily my daughter baked some chocolate chip cookies to keep us warm and happier!

One of the great things about ceramics is there are so many ways to play with heat and fire to create amazing effects in the clay.  A day like this  gives me a chance to get outside of my own way of making and firing my tiles and learn new techniques to consider and just have fun. There are many workshops like this around the country that offer for anyone to take part in.

Greek urn with Greeks enjoying life

Blackware firing has been around for thousands of years. It is used by artisans of most every culture. One of the most famous 20th century Blackware ceramic artists in the Americas has been Maria Martinez 1887-1980). She was a r Pueblo, and is a well-known ceramicist celebrated for her blackware pottery. It is featured in museums across the globe.

In Minnesota in 2019 the Wiesman Art Museum did an exhibition of The Tewa married couple, Maria and Julian Martinez, of the San Ildefonso Pueblo in present-day New Mexico, are among the most widely recognized twentieth-century potters. 

When Layl and Josh visited Greece earlier this year we saw a great many pots from the ancient Greeks who were well know for their black and redware pottery.

Karin  learned primitive/pit firing techniques at Pigeon Lake aArt Camp in1986. At an art camp that took place (with credit earning classes for artists, students and art teachers) for many years.  The university of Wisconsin ran it.  Many teachers from many disciplines in the UW system taught there or years.  Clay, glass blowing, blacksmithing, painting, watercolr, printmaking, fiber arts, etc.