Side fire bottles are like a magic potion. With inspiration from potter Dick Lehman and anagama loading techniques, I've come to love the side firing process and results. By wadding pots on their sides with shells underneath them, then dribbling various glazes over thier surfaces (or not!), I am thrilled by the lack of control I feel.....the intense pleasure of collaboration with the firing. I never know exactly what will come out of each firing, but I'm always hoping for the best.

The first group of pots are bourry box wood fired, and slightly larger. I use them for holding liquids as well as for flower vases and mantle pieces. The second grouping are smaller bottles, meant to hold individual servings of liquids, but also look lovely with a small spring bouquet. The third group of bottles have no glazes applied, and highlight the natural ash and flashing of wood as fuel.

If you see a style you like, click on the thumbnail above to take you to that section. If you are in the mood to browse, enjoy the whole list.

To purchase bottles for sale, you can choose a general style, or a specific one on this page. Give me a call or email with the corresponding information, and we can talk. Enjoy!

My favorites to make, and the least predictable and reliable, Rain bottle has been my inspiration to keep working this technique, for all the successes and all the failures. It's a real gem, sublte with a complex surface.

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More wet in appearance, the ash combined with the glaze to form a glossy drop of a bellybutton.

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Covered in glaze fjords, complete with an upper belly button.

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Matte surface and bright coloring, the Wetland bottle has clear ash flows, gentle crystals, and dainty little shell marks.

My current obsession, these side fired bottles are fired in the Lee Arts Center gas kiln with their own individual drip trays and wadding systems. Each bottle is different, from colors to shapes. This white, turquoise and blush combination is rare and delicious.

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Lovely tiger striped browns and creams.

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Unique blush rose and browns, with a little orange belly button.

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Irridescent orange and browns with milky stripes. The little knob where they meet up is matte with crystals, and an echo of the same up on the rim.

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Orange shino, complete with smokey black carbon trap lines and areas, accented by a creamy network of almost symmetrical lines. The back side has complexity from added wood ash.

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One of my favorites, this little sweetie is all about oranges. The orange shino is the backdrop for an orange rutile glaze, culminating in crystally matte drips and a luscious matte back. It also feels just about perfect for holding.

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This white and blush carbon trapping base glaze is the perfect match for the opaque runs that meet in a blended drop on the belly of this bottle. Be sure to look at the rim for the accenting earth tones.

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The creamy complex base glaze on this bottle accentuates the transparent runs that dominate this bottle.

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The deep green oribe base glaze is near irridescent where the runs meet up on the belly.

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The deep green/brown base glaze is more green than the photo allows, and it's irridescence is a wonderful backdrop for the turquoise runs that turn cloudy on the belly.

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A circus of colors, the blue-green irridescent base plays with the green-red runs to blend into a complex marble of a drip on the belly. The drip on the lip is a lovely little echo.

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