Artfully Elegant — Handmade Jewelry & Handcrafted Gifts

Melody Lane

The Smoke-firing process is derived from primitive firings, in which a mound of burnished and decorated pottery surrounded by buffalo dung, grasses and wood is lit and allowed to burn down. The result is a reduction firing, producing a very earthy finish. I paint with terra sigillata and burnish each piece, bisque fire to 1800 degrees, and then ‘smoke’ each piece over a straw fire, playing with the flame itself. The carbon is then washed off, and the final step is a light coating of wax to bring up the soft shine of the terra sigillata. I am drawn to the primitive quality of this process. My aim is to contrast the primitive, earthy surface with contemporary forms, evoking the themes of ancient cultures. These cultures are the foundations of clay use and decorative techniques. Even in my sculpture forms, I maintain the connection to its core of earth and fire.