The Raku Process: Raku gets its distinctive look because the fired glazed piece is taken directly out of a red-hot, 2000 degree kiln and placed in a canister filled with flammable natural materials. These leaves and sticks are from our 200-year old black walnut and beech which towered over the kilns, or from nearby oaks and maples, or the willow and weeping cherry trees I planted 25 years ago. They instantly burst into flame from the heat of the piece, and a few moments later I seal the cannister and it fills with smoke.
As the piece cools, quickly by clay standards, tiny cracks can form in the surface of the glaze and the carbon from the smoke is drawn deep into the body of the clay. This natural, organic process produces fascinating patterns of cracks and smudging and ‘flashing’ producing uniquely living finished pieces.
