Naked Raku
Naked Raku is a method of firing which falls somewhere between the worlds of traditional raku and smoke firing. After a piece is burnished and bisque fired, a layer of slip is applied to the entire surface and left to dry. Afterwards, a layer of glaze is applied over the unfired slip.
The piece is then fired in a raku kiln until the glaze layer begins to melt. At this point, the glowing hot vessel is removed from the kiln and placed in a can full of combustibles. The layer of slip and glaze creates a protective shell which masks the piece from the smoke created by the burning combustibles. Cracks form in the glaze layer due to the thermal shock from removing the vessel from the hot kiln. This allows smoke to absorb into the surface of the vessel wherever these crackle patterns form.
Different combinations of slip and glaze thicknesses allow for a small amount of control over the way the glaze layer crackles.
After the piece has cooled in the can, the glaze and slip shell is removed and the piece is washed and polished.
This process creates beautifully unique, organic surfaces. Often times I will refire a piece several times until I get a smoke design that compliments the vessel's form.
Crackle Raku
The raku process was my first love. Over time, as a style began to develop and I discovered new processes, I got away from the vivid metallic lusters of traditional "American" raku in favor of low-fire techniques which use no glaze at all.
As I experimented more and more with the interplay of textured and burnished surfaces in my smoke fired pieces, I found myself drawn once again to raku.
Using a white crackle glaze for some pieces gives me the contrast of black and white that I love about naked raku, but with an entirely different surface quality.
I am currently developing pieces of sculpture, as well as continuing to throw more traditional vessels which will further explore the possibilities of this beautifully simple glaze.
Because of the extreme thermal shock inherent to this firing process, raku pieces are much more susceptible to cracking. While careful firings and attention to detail can lower the percentage of breakage, losing pieces will always be an unfortunate consequence of the process.
Smoke Fire
Smoke firing is an incredibly beautiful and ancient process. Its name suggests simplicity, yet there are countless varieties of smoke firing techniques that create equally as many visual outcomes.
In this case, I fire unglazed vessels which have first been burnished by hand with a river stone. Burnishing a piece before it is bisque fired seals the surface and gives it a tactile smoothness which cannot be achieved with glaze. After the bisque firing stage, the piece is fired in either a normal raku kiln or in a specially made fire pit at my home. The piece is brought up to a glowing dark red heat before it is placed in a container of combustibles. It must be carefully placed in the combustibles in order to get an even and thorough distribution of black coloration from the smoke.
From start to finish, the process is incredibly time consuming, but the simple beauty of a properly burnished and smoke fired vessel is something I have always cherished.
Pit Fire
In my opinion, pit firing is the ultimate example of risk and reward in the world of ceramic arts. Due to the vulnerability of the clay vessels in a pit, and the difficulty of controlling the temperature of the firing, loss from breakage is an all too common result of many pit fired pieces.
After a piece has been burnished and bisque fired, a variety of colored slips, oxide colorants, and foreign materials (like copper scouring pads) are used to coat the unglazed pieces before they are placed into the pit.
A fire is carefully built up around the exposed pieces using twigs, sticks, and logs.
A pit firing takes several hours to raise the pieces to a glowing red heat. Once at temperature, the fire is suffocated with large amounts of sawdust, creating an environment free of oxygen, and allowing the vivid colors of the oxides and sulfates to develop on the surface of the vessels.
The vast majority of my pit fired pieces are wheel thrown orbs with a plain opening at the top. I am drawn to the raw, elemental nature of the surfaces and the contrasting, visible darkness that lies within the form. For me, these forms evoke an almost spiritual characteristic of both pure simplicity and infinite complexity.
Printmaking
Coming Soon!
12/2/11-12/3/11
Project Holiday Craft Fair
New Haven Museum, New Haven, CT
Information at:
Holiday Fair Flyer.pdf
Purchasing inquiries are welcomed both by email or phone.
The images in the Portfolio section are regularly updated and representative of my most recent works, however they do not represent my current inventory of available pieces.
If you are interested in a full list of available works and prices, please contact me by email and I will gladly send you a complete list with photos and pricing information. All commission inquiries are welcomed by email as well.
