What we think of as traditional pottery is usually fired twice in electric or gas kilns.  Each firing heats slowly and then cools slowly, over a period of 24 or more hours.

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With alternative firing, the pots are bisque fired the first time, slowly to about 1800 degrees, and cooled slowly.  The "alternative" part is the second firing, which happens in as little as 30 minutes.  Because the pots are not fully vitrified, they are not food safe.  Unless they have been specially treated, they will not hold water either.

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There are a number of techniques encompassed by the term "alternative firing."  These are some that I do most frequently:

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Raku

Bisqued pots are painted with either reactive or crackle glazes.  They are then heated quickly to about 1800 decrees, pulled from the fire, and immersed in a bucket of combustibles. The resulting fire is smothered, reducing the oxygen in the container and creating heavy smoke.  Reactive glazes flash with metallic or iridescent colors, while crackle glazes retain their color but develop very distinct cracks in the glaze when it is penetrated by smoke.

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Horsehair 

Pots are coated with a fine clay slip called terra sigilatta and buffed to a shine.  They are then heated to 1300 degrees and pulled from the fire.  I throw sugar at the pot, creating little black dots, and then lay feathera and tail hair from a horse against the hot pot, creating smoky lines and images.

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Sagger

The bisqued pot is coated with ferric chloride and placed in a sagger, or container, along with organic and inorganic material.  The sagger is heated to about 1400 degrees and allowed to cool.  The material in the sagger reacts with the ferric chloride to create colors ranging from pale pink to deep red, with flashes of green, purple and black.  The sagger I most often use is heavy duty tinfoil, and the chemicals include table salt (sodium), Epsom salts (magnesium), Miracle Gro (copper), Chore-Boy scrubbies (which turn black), copper wire, salt-soaked corn husks, pine needles, etc.

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Naked Raku

The bisqued pot is coated with very thick clay slip and allowed to dry.  The muddy slip cracks as it dries.  The pot is then heated to about 1500 degrees, pulled from the fire, and put into a bucket of combustibles.  The resulting fire is smothered and the smoke colors everywhere on the pot where the mud cracked. The trick with this type of firing is to get the mud to the right consistency; it must stick to the pot even as it cracks (if it falls off the pot will just be black) but not so sticky that you can't get it off. 

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Obvera

Flour, sugar and yeast are mixed with water in a large bucket and allowed to ferment for three days. The bisqued pot is heated to 1700 degrees and pulled from the fire, then dipped into the bucket of fermented liquid, and then immersed in clean water. Everywhere the pot has contacted that fermented liquid is colored from tan to dark brown.

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Barrel and pit firing

Bisqued pots are placed in a barrel or pit, on top of and surrounded by wood.  The wood is set on fire and the container smokes the pots inside.  This is not a technique I usually do.

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