You have seen the process on the Great Pottery Throwdown…now come do it yourself. Raku is the fun, instant gratification (most times), playing with fire, pottery process. The kiln reaches temperature fairly quickly, and the pots are pulled out of the kiln red hot, placed into a container of combustible materials, which then ignites. Once the fire is really going, a lid is put on the bin, extinguishing the fire. What happens is that the glazes, through the reduction of oxygen, turn cool metallic colors. Clay that is not glazed turns black through the carbonization of the combustibles.
This workshop will take place Friday August 28 from 3 -5 
pm. It is suitable for folks who have no experience working with clay of raku, but given the nature of raku – not suitable for young children.
In this workshop, you will be a given a slab of clay, into which you will press a larger leaf. I plan to use catalpa leaves that are about 7-8 inches long. That leaf is then shaped around a plaster mold, or you can put a hole in it to hang for wind chimes. Once it is dry, it is fired, and made ready for you to come back and glaze it.
You need to sign up for the actual raku firing that will take place in September. There is no additonal cost for the firing, but whether the firing take place will depend on the weather, and if I have enough folks to help. If the temperature is over 90, or if rain is forecasted, or I don’t have enough people to help, I need a minimum of 6, the firing will be postponed.
Class will start promptly at 3 pm.
So
me of the results from recent raku firings at Old School Clay
These are a couple of good videos about raku – if you are not familiar with the process.
Please familiarize yourself with the rules of the studio before committing to this workshop.
Using a variety of techniques, we will make a green man sculpture, that will look handsome hanging in your yard or garden. The history of the “Green man” is unclear. He can be found in many cultures going back centuries. The one thread that runs through all these cultures is the symbolism of rebirth. Given the last year, this seemed a fitting symbol to acknowledge and celebrate. 
