Our adult students, along with one adventurous teen (with a parent in tow), had an incredible outing at Chicago Kiln Service! Guided by kiln master and Raku expert Carl Mankert, and his colleague Tyler Yocum, a talented Slowfire teacher, we experienced the excitement and unpredictability of Raku firing firsthand. Many of our students made the trip in style, traveling in our studio van, Vincent Van-Go!
Before the trip, our students prepared their pieces in our studio, throwing and hand-building their work using special Raku clay. We fired these pieces to a bisque stage, which is the first firing that makes the clay sturdy enough to handle and glaze. With our bisque wares ready, we packed them up and headed to Carl’s studio for the big day.
At Carl's studio, we waxed the bottoms of our pieces to prevent glaze from sticking and carefully dip-glazed them in an array of custom-made glazes that Carl had prepared. Carl offered a range of colors and effects for us to experiment with, including the striking textures of horsehair and crackle glazes, as well as vibrant copper glazes that transform in the Raku firing process.
What is Raku Firing? Raku firing is a unique and dramatic pottery technique that originated in Japan and has been embraced by contemporary potters for its spontaneity and surprising results. Unlike traditional kiln firings that cool slowly over many hours, Raku involves quickly heating glazed pottery to around 1,800°F and then removing it from the kiln while it's still red hot. The hot piece is then placed in a combustible material like sawdust or newspaper, which ignites and creates a burst of flames. This rapid cooling and exposure to smoke produce stunning, one-of-a-kind effects like crackling, metallic sheens, and vivid colors, especially with glazes like copper that can shift and change hues.
Our students had a blast exploring this unpredictable process, watching their pieces transform from plain, white bisque to extraordinary, fiery works of art! It was an unforgettable experience full of creativity, collaboration, and a bit of smoky fun!
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