Raku

Well pottery is done for the year and as a wind up we went out to Gail and John's to do some Raku.. since this is the first time for me to do pottery it is also the first experiance I had with the art of Raku... well first you had to make something out of Raku clay , which is not like regular clay . It is more gritty and poris so you cannot make thing that you wish to have hold water... I decided to sttend at the last minute so was rushed to think of things to make , but I was glad to be able to go and experiance the event

This is my inukshuk before he was glazed and fired I made him with hollowed legs to be lighter and also to try to make sure he would not explode in the kiln

I made a welcome sign and this little snail shown here in side gails picture frame .. the peces are then glazed with a special Raku glaze which is suppose to be a color but when it comes out of the fire it is any color it wants to be... this is a fun thing as you do not know what it will really turn out like

The kiln.... sometimes it is done in a oit which a fire of wood is made and burned most of the day to make red hot coals and then the pieces are put in and covers to bake under intence heat here we used a old electric kiln with a propane torch in the side heating the pieces to red hot .

They were then taken out of the kiln and put into burning barrels where we threw wood shavings on to blaked them then every 30 seconds or so the lid is lifted to get oxygen in to reignite the flame they are in here for maybe five minutes......in this picture she lifted the lid causing a backdraft effect and whoosh a flame ignites

John then carefully takes the burning pieces out of the barrel and puts them in cold water to cool them.

this would crack them for sure you would think but no.... most of the pieces make it thru the whole process and come out whole.... then you have to brush them clean..

here are some of my finished pieces the colors I put on were called copper penny and green copper so as you can see it turns out how it turnes out it does not pay attentin to the color you chose most of the time but I liked them anyway

my inukshuk.... unfortunately got broke when it was taked out of the burning barrel and hit the side ... but I was told white glue ... will work so I am, trying that

little snail and inukshuk they will go in my flower garden