The name "raku" refers to the firing process used to complete the work. The process involves applying special glazes to the work and heating the kiln up to the desired temperature, which is where the real fun begins. The work is then pulled from the kiln while hot using tongs and is placed in metal containers holding combustible materials. Yes, there are a lot of flames! A lid is placed on the container while the work cools. This rapid cooling combined with the lack of oxygen in the chamber helps to create wonderful crackled or lustrous surfaces. As you can imagine, firing work in the raku method is extremely labour intensive, time consuming, and dangerous. But, oh, the results! Below you can view one or two of my newest work, my Raku Angel Series.
