Raku is one of the most exciting firing techniques used in contemporary ceramics. It is interactive and spontaneous with results that inspire mystery and surprise. Do it with a few friends while the sun goes down and it becomes the life of the party! Unlike the understated wabi-sabi feel of traditional 16th century Japanese raku, western style raku can produce intense, iridescent hues and striking crackle finishes.
These are some of my miniature vases with a velvety matte finish:
Recently, I introduced raku to my friend's "little sister", Jade, here at my studio in Dixon.
Here's what we did...
Jade came to my studio last summer, and I showed her how to use the potter’s wheel.
By the time Jade made it back to the studio, I had “bisque” fired her piece in an electric kiln. This hardens the clay and makes it easier to apply the glazes.
Jade decorates the outside of her piece using liquid wax resist and a traditional Chinese calligraphy brush.
She glazes the inside by pouring glaze in, then pouring the excess out.
The outside surface is glazed by dipping the piece upside down into the glaze bucket. Air trapped inside the pot prevents the glaze on the inside from being affected. Glaze will roll off of the areas where Jade applied her wax decoration.
Our pieces are ready to be fired up!
Jade carefully places her pot inside the kiln.
The burners are lit and the lid is put in place.
We prepare cans with shredded newspaper for our post-firing reduction chambers.
Meanwhile, as we wait for our kiln to reach temperature, it’s sushi time!
A pyrometric cone indicates the temperature inside the kiln. This cone (cone 06, or approximately 1800 degrees F) is bending! It means we are ready to go!
I pull the pieces out of the kiln with a pair of tongs and place them into the cans.
Jade’s piece goes in…
The heat of the pot ignites the newspaper.
Jade puts a lid on the can to create a “reducing” atmosphere. The flame is eating up the oxygen inside the can. This change in atmosphere surrounding the pot is what will determine the results.
I remove the lid of one of the cans to introduce a bit more oxygen, which will encourage color flashing on the glaze surfaces.
I throw a bit of sawdust into Jade’s can to increase the smokiness… this will make the unglazed parts (remember her was resist decoration?) darker.
After 20 minutes or so (after finishing our sushi and doing some kanji charm shopping), we are ready to open the cans.
Beautiful! (the pot too!)
A great day for creativity!
Many of these photos are courtesy of "big sister", Courtney. Thanks for sharing!