ABOUT THE ART


Raku Pottery
This pottery is fired by a special method called raku. It originated in Japan but has become quite popular in the United States. American raku differs from Japanese raku in that the pieces are removed from the kiln at the mature temperature and smoked. My raku pieces are formed with this firing method in mind. When dry, the work is bisque fired to 1800°F to set them up for glazing. Raku glazes are applied and various pieces are placed in the kiln. A rapid firing follows.
	When the glazes have melted at about 1750°F, the kiln is shut off, the door opened. The glowing hot pieces are immediately taken out and put into smoking chambers filled with sawdust or straw. This combustible material instantly ignites. The lid is set in place and the smoking begins. The shock of the extreme temperature change causes some glazes to crackle. The smoke blackens the clay penetrating the crackle to do so. It "reduces" the glazes, which means that oxygen is pulled out of the glaze material changing its character thereby achieving a lustrous look, or a lush metallic surface and/or a wide range of color within a single glaze. In the case of clear crackle glaze, a white surface with millions of various shades and sizes of black lines is produced. The cooled pieces are scrubbed with steel wool and soap to expose the lush rich surfaces. I then apply an acrylic fixative to glaze areas to seal the luster's and coppers.
I have recently added a new finish to my repertoire. It is a compound solution applied prior to firing. Instead of immediately enclosing the fired vessel in the smoking chamber, I expose it to controlled open burning to encourage flame marks. This produces a myriad of ever changing color swirls on a matt surface. I finish as usual by putting the piece in the smoking chamber until it cools.
This work is low fired and the glazes crackle, therefore, it does not hold water. I always create forms that are complete as they stand. However, if you wish to add fresh flowers, line with a plastic bag before adding water. Dried or silk flower arrangements look lovely too. To clean: wipe with a soft cloth soaked in mild soap and water.
"For me it is difficult...no impossible...to stick to one type of expression. Life is varied, and so my ultimate selection of clay and firing method is varied."