A bit of danger with pottery

A bit delayed to add a Sepia Saturday post...but it's the first time I had a few minutes to sit and ponder, and post! The beginnings of a week are a bit freer for me to sit and look for photos and talk about them here.

Hope some other SS'ums will be still come to see it.

Man relaxing, with arm on a saw blade...while holding a hammer.

Here's a firing outside of pottery with these photos taken in 2009 here in Black Mountain.  Not quite sepia, but it does involve a lot of risk, both of the pots cracking or getting burned if the safety precautions aren't followed.

Geoff (teacher) uses long tongs to remove a pot from the gas heated kiln at 1500 degrees F, and then it will be placed into a little trash bin with a lid.  I have done this when firing my own pieces.

 The fire in the trash bins comes from a combustible material, we used shredded newspaper, leaves and pine needles.  By placing the lid on while the hot pot just started the fire in the bin, there will be a reduction of oxygen for the fire to feed upon.  That's called reduction firing.  So the fire will draw oxygen out of the glazes and the actual clay.  Clay turns black, and glazes get some great metallic shines.

 There's also a thermal shock that the pot goes through, from that hot kiln down to the temperature of the day. After the fire goes out, the pot can be further cooled in a tub of water, which also helps remove some of the ashes.  When it's completely dry, a sealing coat may be applied which will keep the colors bright. 

We haven't had anyone get burned (yet.) But there haven't been any raku workshops for a while.  It's kind of hard to do next to a parking lot, so sometimes it can be offered in more secluded places.  If you make pottery, it's a great experience to do a raku firing. 

The local Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway schedules a pottery day about once a year, and if the weather is good, they will offer raku firings.  Last year it was canceled.

Here are 2 of my raku pieces (which I still own.)
Hummingbird mask with beading and feathers.

 A take off from the masks worn during the times of the plague...

A non-vase sculptural piece.

 I've done several other raku workshops in the 10 years since this one.  And each time I come home with a couple of beautifully glazed pieces.  As always when firing clay, the coming together of chemicals and fire make for surprises.  And I have yet to have a piece explode or crack.