Excellence at Shepard: Raku workshop Shepard art students received a remarkable experience recently when Chicago Kiln Service hosted a Raku (Japanese pottery) workshop in the back parking lot. Raku produces unpredictable beauty (the end of the video features a slide with many of the finished pieces): The patterns and color derive from the harsh cooling process and the amount of oxygen the artist allows to reach the pottery. Depending on the desired effect, the artist may cool a piece of pottery instantly in water, more slowly in the open air, or in a covered barrel filled with combustible material, such as newspaper, and allowed to smoke. Water immediately cools the pottery, stopping the chemical reactions of the glaze and fixing the colors. The combustible materials produce smoke, which stains the unglazed portions of the pottery black. The amount of oxygen allowed during the firing and cooling processes affects the color of the glaze and the amount of crackle.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 16:30:26 +0000
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