Mellow Yellow and Pit Firing
Mellow Yellow is one of a series of "platter-bowls" as I call them. The firing method is an ancient one called pit firing. One used to dig a hole in the ground and place the pottery in the pit and place some flamable material on top and set it on fire.
This piece was rubbed with copper carbonate and place in a metal garbage can with wood and saw dust and set ablaze. Once the wood got burning well, I covered the can with a lid and left a small opening so the fire would keep burning at a smolder.
The copper carbonate, when licked just right by the flames inside the container, will sometimes produce colors. The pourous raku clay that I used soaked up some of the smoke for some black modeling.
Why the piece turned yellow, I don't have a clue. it's just the magic of the process.