Sleep in this morning?? Pas moi! I was up early with STUFF ricocheting in my head. Managed to get a small load of work glazed for a raku firing. For anyone not familiar with the process, raku is usually done in a gas kiln. The work is heated until the glazes are molten and then the pieces are removed screaming hot (using tongs) and placed in containers with combustibles in them. The hot piece ignites the combustible material and then the container is covered to remove the oxygen from the process. This causes something called reduction which is what makes the awesome metallic and smoky black effects typical of raku work. It is instant magic and great fun. Not having a gas kiln, I did some research some years back and worked out a way to raku in a small electric test kiln. It limits the size of pieces I can do and the size of the load I can complete in one firing.... but hey, I can fire and the results are immediate! Here are a few of the results from today's firing.
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| Santa - Handbuilt Stoneware Clay- 8 1/2" tall - Betsy J. Parker |
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| Bird - Handbuilt Stoneware Clay - Raku fired - 6 1/2" long - Betsy J. Parker |
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| Heart Rattles - Handbuilt Stoneware Clay -5 1/2" long - Betsy J. Parker |
Oh yes... and I did get more porcelain buttons sewn to their new cards. Nothing like getting some things accomplished to help chase away the whineys from time constraints! Grab a rattle and come join the parade!
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| Handmade Porcelain Buttons - Betsy J. Parker |
GREAT day's work! Love the button cards and all the raku pieces. I guess my favorite is the metallic heart. Thanks for the pictures!
ReplyDeleteSo productive! Raku is such a magic finish. Like The Other Betsy, I too favour those hearts best of today's creations.
ReplyDeleteOK, add my vote for the metallic heart RATTLE! And, ~B, I love the sweetsweet bird, listening and looking for something to eat. When does the parade begin?
ReplyDeleteBetsy, your focus on art is un-matched. I'm picking up your unspoken challenge to create something every day, even while I'm on the road. Thanks for always being my teacher!
Santa and buttons!!!!! What is it about textured clay buttons? Is it that I can imagine the feel or is it the jewel like colors against the black paper? And Santa, like the cats are great in raku.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great challenge. I need to do similar.
Thanks for the comments. It was a good experience for me to push myself past my time whine and fit something - ANYTHING - creative in each day. Sometimes it was very tiny, other times more significant - but lesson learned: if one pushes oneself, even the cracks of available time during a busy day can bloom with creative results!
ReplyDeleteOh --- and, Karen, the parade is ongoing!! : )
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