What happens when a group of friends makes something together? Creativity sparks. The workaday world fades away. People draw closer thanks to pit firing in the wintertime.
A Group of Friends Bond Through Winter Pit Firing Pottery
There’s something deeply human about the urge to create. When that instinct is shared with others, it becomes something even more powerful. Getting together with friends to make something, anything, can shake you out of your daily routine and bring an energy that’s hard to find anywhere else. It’s not just about the end result. It’s about the process, the mess, the momentum, and the connection that happens when everyone is in it together.
A few of us recently spent the night at my friend Kim’s cabin to try something none of us had tried before. Stephan has been getting into pottery and wanted to test primitive firing techniques in a natural setting with some of the pieces he made. We built a fire deep in the woods, layering sawdust, copper wire, foil, horsehair, banana peels, and oxides, then tucked the pots inside and fed the flames late into the night.
The Pit Firing Process
Dan kept the fire roaring so we could get maximum heat. The comforting smell of campfire smoke clung to our clothes as sparks rose into the dark. In the morning, we uncovered still glowing coals and pulled out the pots, each one marked by smoke, flame, and the unusual mix of materials it had touched.
We rinsed them in a mountain stream, the cold water revealing raw and beautiful results we could never have planned. It was messy, imperfect, and unforgettable. And it reminded me why I love making things with people I care about. Each person brought their own curiosity, skill, and spirit to the experience. That’s what made it special.
So many people stick to what they know, fall into rhythms, and forget how good it can feel to try something unfamiliar just for the sake of it. This is your reminder to break that pattern. Grab a few friends and make something together. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to make sense.
Just get your hands dirty. Choose the unfamiliar. See what happens. You might walk away with something unexpected, something lasting and not just the thing you made, but the memory of who you were with when you made it.
A Word from Stephan
“I had some bisque pots I wanted to finish in a way that felt more raw and more open to chance. Pit firing is one of the first ways people fired clay, it’s as old as pottery itself, and I wanted to see what the fire would leave behind. I hoped for color from the oxides, texture from horsehair, carbon from the flame. We got some of that. But more than anything, I wanted to share the experience with friends, enjoy the time outside, the work, and process by firelight, with food, and good company.” – Stephan Caspar
Story and Photography by Matt Dayak
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