|
 Kate’s ceramics are slipcast using a semi porcelain clay for the stoneware which is grogged to help resist the thermal shock of raku firing.
Raku is a low temperature ceramic firing process. Glazed pieces are rapidly fired outdoors in a gas kiln to approximately 1000 degrees centigrade. This takes just over one hour. As a comparison, an electric kiln firing is around 6-8 hours with a day cooling!
Once the glaze is molten the kiln is opened and the pots are removed with tongs and quickly placed into metal dustbins. The pots are completely covered with sawdust where heat, flames and smoke all work together to create some dramatic effects.
Once the pieces have cooled, they can be removed from the sawdust.
At this stage, they are burnt black and have to be carefully scrubbed clean to reveal their intricate crackles. Smoke delineates the glaze crackles in a range of unique patterns and the unglazed clay body can either be burnt black by the smoke or softly dappled grey.
The raku firing process ensures that no two pieces are ever the same. The distinctive crackles are truly unique. The rapid firing and cooling means that many pots do not survive the firing in one piece, but the results can be breathtaking.
Kate runs masterclasses and raku days. For further information see Courses.
|