Maeva Collins writes;
‘Pit Fired pottery is the oldest known method of firing clay and the ultimate source of all the modern firing variations used by potters. Each vessel is burnished twice, once when it is leather hard and then again when it is bone dry. This picture shows the second burnishing. Various shapes and sizes of agates, quartz stones etc. are used’. 
‘After the second burnishing, the pots are bisque fired in an electric kiln to cone 012. If they are fired any higher it would cause the pots to loose their shine.
‘A 3” layer of shavings is put on the bottom of the pit and then the pots are nestled into the shavings’. ‘Each piece is layered with combustibles such as dog food, pine needles, fine sawdust, coffee or anything else that is available’.
‘Paper and kindling is added on top and the fire is started.Usually I use alder and maple firewood, simply because that’s what is available’. ‘More wood is added until I’m happy with the amount of hot embers’. At some point the metal lid is dropped and the fired is allowed to burn down for at least two days. 
‘Most of the combustibles will have burned away but there is usually enough ash to protect the pots’. ‘It’s so exciting to see the finished process’. ‘The fire leaves flashes and patterns as does the combustibles; each pot wears the result of its experience during the firing’.
‘Many more hours are spent washing the pots and then they are left to dry. When completely dry they are finished with a coat of paste wax and a good polishing to protect them’.
‘My pit fired pots have a high sheen and that is very important to me as the high shine seems to give the pieces some depth rather than the pattern from the fire just being on the surface’.
Maeva lives & works on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and you can see more of Maver’s fabulous work at www.sidestreetstudio.com
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