17 May 2007

Can You Raku?

Last night was my last ceramics class. We did raku. Raku is a very dramatic process involving white-hot clay, shooting flames, and quick plunges into water. It's lots of fun to watch. And the results are dramatic, too, with beautiful metallic colors up against charred black clay.
This pot met an unfortunate fate in the kiln, due to the clay being too thin in some places. I'm going to pretend that, like that blue dish, it's an archeological artifact, perhaps discovered in the ashes of some ancient firepit.

This pot fared better. I wish my photography could do justice to the colors of the glaze. I only used 2 different glazes on this piece, but it ended up in many colors which change as different lights hit it. I'm actually fairly pleased with the shape of this pot, too. Still kinda lumpy, but not too bad.

And here's my third raku creation. I especially like the coppery green .


I'm absolutely going to try to sign up for ceramics again in the fall. I haven't even learned to use the wheel yet, and this class has been the highlight of my week.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad you had a good time. Love the glaze on the pots!

ruthie said...

Oh I'm so jealous!! ;-) I love the oppery green too!
xox

Knatolee said...

Beautiful! Gordon was standing behind me while I read this, and he is really impressed with all your crafty works. He really likes raku (me too!)

Don't worry, before long there will be no more pots breaking in the kiln. You will soon get the hang of making the clay the right thickness and consistency!

Keep on at this... you're a natural!

Phyllis said...

Thanks for the encouragement, ladies and Gordon. :-) I'm not about to quit my day job for an exciting career in ceramics, but I enjoyed the process so much that finished pieces that don't hurt my eyes are just a bonus.