Obvara Workshop – One day – 4 hours

Description

Class Description: Obvara firing is a pottery technique, originating in Eastern Europe, that involves quickly cooling a heated, bisqued pot by immersing it in a fermented mixture of flour, sugar, yeast, and water, then quenching it in water. This process creates unique, earthy patterns and textures on the pottery’s surface. While the technique seals the clay, the pottery is generally not considered food-safe or waterproof and is best suited for decorative purposes.
We hope to fire the kiln at least two times during our workshop. This will take time. Be prepared to help in all facets of this process, but there will be time to relax while the firing occurs. When you help pull red hot pots from a kiln, you will need cotton clothing, hair ties, and a strong heat tolerance. The area will be hot as we plunge the pots into the yeast mixture and then quench the pots in water. If the pots are not strong, they can crack and even burst. This is an active environment where attention to heat, people, and processes is needed. It’s a blast!