" ... Included is a historical chapter, a how-to chapter, and a series of artist profiles that showcase pit fired ceramics of contemporary practitioners."--Page 2 of cover.

This book should appeal to a wide range of people but particularly those who would like to have a go at pottery without having to spend a lot of money on a kiln.

Demonstrating four different clay-firing techniques, this book illustrates the diverse results that each can produce.

This handsomely illustrated survey of contemporary international artists and their approaches to smoke-fired pottery is an inspirational resource for ceramics devotees, from seasoned practitioners to curious collectors.

Learn the key techniques, tips, and tricks for pit, barrel, raku, and wood firing. Fall in love with flames, wood, and the effect that unique firing methods have on pottery. Move beyond the electric kiln and explore the dramatic surfaces of raku, the flashes of salt firing, and the rustic look of ash rivulets. In this book, Lindsay Oesterritter provides a crash course in the most accessible methods of alternative firing. Raku firing requires minimal equipment and can easily be fueled with a standard propane tank. Likewise, pit and barrel firing do not require much in the way of initial investment. Yet all these techniques provide an immediate glimpse into the magic of firing. Bright reds and blues, dramatic black and white crackle, even metallic luster are instantly possible. For more experienced potters and studios looking to offer more, Oesterritter also explores wood-fired kilns. Drawing on years of experience and extensive interviews with fellow wood-fire potters, there is no comparable resource on the market. Features on top potters working today get to the heart of specialty techniques and asides show firing variations and traditional kilns in different cultures around the world. A gallery of showstopping work from a diverse group of artists round out the package and inspire you to get started.

This new handbook reflects the growing interest in pit firing and related techniques. The articles included here were carefully selected to illustrate the wide range of approaches to barrel, pit and saggar firing. Works ranging from wheel-thrown and coil-built pots to complex sculptures are tied together by a similarity in the firing process. Standard versions of these firing techniques as well as innovative variations are discussed. The editors of The American Ceramic Society, Ceramics Monthly magazine, and of this book, are sure that artists, teachers, students, and collectors alike will find value in these pages. Whether the book is used by ceramic artists and students as inspiration for new work, or by teachers as a source of ideas for projects or workshops, or by pottery aficionados as a stepping stone to greater understanding of the art, we hope it brings enjoyment to all who read it.