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Raku Party
- Space is limited and there are 3 starting times to choose from when you purchase your pot with the link below.
- Limited to age 21 and over.
- Pots range in size and shape. You choose your pot when you arrive.
- There will be experts available to assist you with glazing your pot and they will manage the firing as we watch the process.
- Raku – “Happiness in the Accident”
This is a delicate process and sometimes there is breakage. We are sorry but if your pot breaks there are no extra pots to replace it. But… the colorful pottery pieces can often be glued back together or used in other art projects.
- This is a nice afternoon to visit with friends, please bring your favorite snack to share as we work through the Raku firing.
- Beverages will be provided – Wine, Cider, Beer, Lemonade and Water
- Bring a lawn chair for the afternoon
- Wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty.
Raku firing is an ancient Japanese ceramics technique that has been used for many centuries to create a very unique finish to pottery.
The Raku technique is when glazed ceramics are removed from the kiln while they are still glowing red hot and then placed in a material that is able to catch fire, such as sawdust or newspaper. This starves the piece of oxygen, which creates colors within the glaze. Raku firing without glaze means that the oxygen is taken from the clay itself, resulting in some areas having a matte black coloring. Raku creates a unique design every time, so there is less control on the outcome.
Raku firing is quicker than normal firing, taking around 1-2 hours compared to regular firing which can take up to 24 hours. The first step is to glaze your ware. A thin layer of the glaze is better for the Raku technique to have an effect and a quicker melting point.
The next step is to load the kiln with your wares and bring the temperature up to 1850 degrees fahrenheit, which should take about an hour. If your glaze is starting to bubble then the process is working! Once you notice the glaze bubbling, leave the ware for another 15 minutes before moving on to the next step.
Once the pieces have achieved a red hot glow, you're going to need 3 people to do the Raku process. One person is needed to open the door of the kiln, one to pull the pieces out of the kiln with tongs and place them in the container, and one to close the lid on the container.
The next step is to wait a few minutes for the smoking of the pieces to take effect. To cool the ware, you can pour some water onto them and then remove the pieces out with tongs and douse them in the bucket of water. At this point you should be able to see the effect that the technique has had on your finished ware.