Raku Lidded Vessel

I have been working on multiple pieces in the studio and thought I would post an update on a particular piece of work.  I made a wheel thrown vessel with a lid, out of stoneware clay, and fired it in a Raku kiln with Raku glazes I made up at IPFW.

I fired the piece a couple of weeks ago, but finally got around to photographing it.  Hope you enjoy the work.

Raku Cup

In my Ceramics for Non-Majors Class, I fired the Raku Kiln three times last Saturday with student work and one piece of my own.  Pictured below is a Stoneware, wheel thrown cup that I glazed with a copper sand and white crackle Raku glazes.  The process of pulling out work when it is extremely hot, never gets boring and always has some sense of magic in the end results.  The class was really excited about the results and some not so nice results, but the experience was still amazing!  The really dark black areas were created by not applying any glaze to the clay body and using the reduction process in the combustion barrel to create the effect.