I have been a ceramic artist for over 45 years. Although I started out as mainly a functional potter, much of my current work is decorative. I am currently working with a low fire technique called Saggar Firing. A saggar is either a clay container that I make in which to fire a piece of pottery or several layers of aluminum foil wrapped around the piece in which to fire it. For the clay saggar process, I place a terra sigilatta burnished pot that has been previously bisque fired into the saggar where I have also strategically placed various materials such as copper wire, wood shavings, copper carbonate, copper sulphate, salt, steel wool, and seaweed. I fire this container with the pot and the organic material in it .The piece that results is a lovely blend of deliberateness and spontaneity with a hint of landscape. For the aluminum foil saggar I apply ferric chloride to the burnished piece and sprinkle some sugar or salt on top of the wet ferric and fire to approximately 1200 degrees. The serendipitous nature of these firings models the art we find in our natural world and dramatically demonstrates that pottery is a fire art.

I recommend that these pieces be used for decorative purposes only. They will hold water but my sweat a little so dried flower arrangements are preferred.