Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. But for the third year running this September visitors to St Ives September Festival in Cornwall can see clay pots being fired in a pit on Porthmeor beach. Visitors come from all over the world.
It’s an ancient process of firing clay, a process developed in California in the 1970s and ‘80s.
The process is still used functionally in India and some third world countries that do not have reliable power supplies. And who knows might become increasingly popular in the as governments struggle to meet power demands…
Can anyone do this?
“No. I have special permission from the harbour master and I have insurance for the event,” explains Mary Kaun-English, who frequently organizes such pit firings; the most recent being for 40 artists in Surrey. Mary usually uses a pit dug in clay soil in Surrey but says that it is trickier to do it in sand and that corrugated metal sheets have to be used to prevent the sand walls caving in.
“We start preparing the pit at about 3pm. Then the pots, made from special clay before hand, are placed inside. Typically there’s room for about 35 or so. No glaze is used but organic materials are added to the pit which when burnt will produce smoke that will colour the clay pieces naturally. The fire is lit at 6pm and then covered with tins 7pm.”
Overnight the kiln can reach a temperature of 800 degrees and so it no surprise that Mary stays on the beach to closely monitor the situation.
“I also have to carefully plan around the tide times to ensure that all our hard work is not swept away.” The revelers then disperse and return at 10am the following morning when we open it up, the pieces are removed and laid out on the sand where the crowd has the opportunity to purchase artwork straight from the pit.
Dates for the diary:
September 14, 2013
4pm Mary Kaun-English talk, Norway House Studios, Porthmeor Square, St Ives
September 15 and 16, 2013
Pit firing on the beach, Porthmeor beach, St Ives, Cornwall, Also part of a 'kiln walk' put together by the Leach Galley in St Ives.
