Pots and fire, in the KZN Midlands!
Learning is one of my favourite things to do. I love refreshing my skills and understanding new things to apply in my creative work and business.
So of course, I jumped at the opportunity to join a smoke firing workshop run by Colin Smith and Angela Rivett-Carnac at Giverny Country Studios in Curry's Post.
The focus of this workshop was the sorts of ingredients we can use in saggars, and how to fire your work in simple Weber braais!
Angela demonstrating her process to us...
I used "Swamp Juice" for the first time!
Angela was super happy to share her recipe with us, as it's a modification of a recipe she found online. This is it here:
1 part Copper Sulphate
1 part fine sea salt
1 part mielie meal
1 part baking soda
1/2 part of Copper Carbonate
Add a small sploosh of water, mix it up and it will start to foam.
Paint this onto your bisqueware!
First pot dressed in Swamp Juice, a ferrous sulphate solution, coir soaked in a weak cobalt solution, and copper wire, and ready to be wrapped in a foil saggar...
Second pot prepared with Swamp Juice, banana peel around the neck, and slices of lemon tied around the belly with copper wire.
When I use lemon slices as an additive in future, I'll definitely slice them thinner and dry them out a bit before applying them, as the surface of my pot exploded where the lemon was placed!
Our second pots in their paper bag saggars, ready for the fire.
You can upcycle any paper bag for this!
Angela and Colin firing things up
A pot freshly pulled from the fire
When the pots are still hot from the fire they're sprayed with Ferric Chloride- check those fumes!
Sprayed pots cooling down for a wash. You can see a very powerful result from a lemon slice on the centre pot!
Time to scrub up gently with a soft brush and warm water
My double exploded pot in all its glory...
Giverny Country Studios is owned and managed by Hermine Spies-Coleman and Gillian Coleman. Find them here.