Last Class Raku

Tuesday, Ron and his students held the traditional last class party/raku firing. And, as usual, there was plenty of good food, good drinks and good company. There were also plenty of pots. My favourite moment in the raku process is when the kiln is first opened, revealing the glowing treasures inside.

Already beginning to cool, there were some real beauties that came from that first firing.

My second favourite moment in the raku process is watching how the pieces react during the various stages of the firing. Here, one of my birds enjoys a fountain of flame. (Watch those tailfeathers!)

You can see the glaze a bit better here. It's called Apple Crackle -- the first glaze recipe I tried making on my own. I should have paid attention to the small print in the recipe that cautioned "this is a very tricky glaze to get right." Tricky is certainly one word for it. I've tried this glaze in three previous firings. And while Tuesday night's results were closer to what is considered "right", it's not what I'm seeking. Gotta keep trying.

Which brings me to the part of the raku process that nearly always frustrates me - the final result.

Wow! My good old stand-by glaze, Clear Crackle, crawled like crazy on my wingless dragon. But there was a lovely little gift given too. A teardrop of glaze, caught in mid-drip from the creature's snout.

John called it the "kiln kiss". And I guess that's why, despite my frustration with raku, I'm still intrigued by it. I could get a perfect, crawl-less piece next time out. The Apple Crackle glaze could unexpectedly come out magnificently. But chances are I will never get that perfect teardrop again. I'm hooked.

(Amy is too. You'll find more on her blog.)