Monday, March 15, 2010

2010-03-14 Sunday - Raku day!

A bunch of us converged on Clayworks Sunday to raku some pieces.  There was a whole lot more going on there, such as people working on all aspects of their art, and Maggie even had a make-up session for one of her classes scheduled.  The raku had mixed outcomes (as is often the way of raku), but there were some outstanding results in the mix.  Becky had some really great results with her horsehair birds.  She also found out she really likes using feathers as well as horsehair.  Joe's pieces came out wonderfully and I'm sorry I didn't get any pictures of them.  It's ok, Joe, I forgot to take one of my own pot.  Kim had mixed feelings about her saggar firings, but I thought some of them came out nice.  Expectations often rule our perception of the final product.


Greg, Joe, and Melissa take a break.


One of Kim's pots that I like.


The sky was a lot more friendly today.


First, the bird goes on a small sawdust "nest"...

Next, the horsehair is applied...

As more horsehair is applied, the patterns form...


Now multiply by twenty-four!
(or Four and Twenty if you prefer...)

Pete was busy making his really tall shape.
I really like it and the decoration works very nicely.


Chuck was working on his tall series.
I like this for completely different reasons.
Read on...

This is the previous one he threw.
I love the fluidity of this form.
It looks like we caught it in mid-wave in moving water.

Greg raku'd this fine looking couple that are joined into one piece.
It took him hours to layer on his glazes and it makes for rich results
that have a a lot of depth and subtle details.

5 comments:

ang design said...

what a great bunch of pots and peeps i think raku always calls for a crowd!

Jen Mecca said...

You all should try some seaweek one time. It does some cool things!

jbf said...

Ang-
Thanks! We always have fun with raku.

Jen-
The barrel-firing folks use it. I've never tried it with raku.

Linda Starr said...

Wow, I like the new look of your blog and the work you have shown and Chuck's second form is wonderful. Wish I could be there, but alas other duties call and my back has been acting up, one of these days soon, I hope.

jbf said...

Thanks, I originally meant to change the look often but never got around to it. The first one will look something more like the second one when he's done with it. Sorry to hear your back is giving you trouble, I hope it eases quickly. We'll have to schedule a raku to celebrate your visit.