Instructor Note
This course will encourage an experimental
approach and emphasize process rather than production.
You will be bringing a combination of already
bisqued and bone-dry non-bisqued pieces made with a Raku clay. (see below) You
may bring 3-4 approx 4x4" bisqued tiles for experimentation prior to committing
techniques to the final pieces.
During the course, your bone-dry pieces will be
decorated and bisque-fired and, afterwards, Raku-fired.
It is recommended that you bring extra pieces
and then decide during the course which ones would be most suitable. Extra
pieces may be fired if time and kiln space permit.
Please bring:
- Suitable closed-toe work shoes, non-synthetic
clothes including a long sleeve shirt, long pants, hat, sunscreen, and bandana.
Bring thermally protective, non-synthetic clothing if you wish to be involved
in removing pieces from the kiln. Note: It is mandatory that suitable
protective clothing is worn during firing and during other potentially
dangerous activities.
- Apron &/or overalls
- Heavy-duty, padded, heat protective work gloves
(cotton or leather) and rubber gloves (to mix glaze). Kevlar raku gloves are
recommended, particularly if you want to be involved with removing pieces from
the kiln. Note: Single-layer cotton or leather gloves do NOT provide sufficient
heat protection.
- One pair of 12" or longer Metal Salad Tongs
& a Plastic Spray Bottle
- Masking tape, X-acto Knife, Scissors
- Decorating Equipment - your choice depending on
the decoration you want to do.
- Example: variety of brushes including foam type
brushes; slip trailers; sponges for stippling; needle tool and/or sgraffito
tool; underglaze pencil; stainless steel scraper; Hake Brushes
- Plastic scouring pads (avoid steel wool or SOS)
& Cleanser (e.g. Comet/Ajax, etc.)
- Safety glasses that properly fit (very
important). Welder's glasses, if you want to look in the kiln or be involved
with removing pieces from the kiln. Consult your pottery supplier for
appropriate protection.
- A Respirator with Cartridge Filters for
Particulate Matter such as:
- PSH: 3M Half Face Respirator w/ P-100
cartridges #03MRX. OR Tuckers: North
Brand Respirator #5500
Clay Body & Bisque Requirements:
Bisque fire to Cone 08, if possible or 06, but
no higher.
You must use a Raku clay body (e.g. Pottery
Supply SHEBA Super Smooth Raku #C575-M) to avoid cracking or blow-ups. It is a white, very smooth throwing body that hand-builds well and survives abuse.
#C575-M ensures a crisp white background for Naked Raku and clear
glazes. Other Raku Clay bodies will work but may leave behind a yellowish or
pinkish stain.
We cannot fire non-Raku bodies.
Please avoid awkward or overly delicate shapes
that could be damaged & mix the size and shape of your pieces for optimum
kiln loading.
In fairness to others, please observe the
following size limits:
Height: Less than 10†(25 cm) tall
Width: Less than 5†(12.5 cm) wide - very
critical (horizontal kiln space is the limiting factor that will determine the
number of pieces we can fire)
If your pieces are plates, masks, wall pieces,
etc., they must not be any deeper than 2" (5 cm) and no larger than 12" (30cm) x
12†(30 cm) x 2" (5 cm). These pieces will be fired on their side against the
kiln wall. Therefore, the back and one
edge of the piece cannot be glazed - please plan ahead and design for this -
maximum 1 per person of this type
Work can be either Hand-Built or Wheel-Thrown
or a combination.
Suggestions:
The best shapes should be full-bodied, somewhat
closed forms of even thickness.
We want a lot of surface area exposed to be
available for the special effects we are working with.
We have 4 types of firing which require pots:
(It is recommended to bring more than the minimum.)
Regular glazed raku: Standard bisqued raku clay
pots. A minimum of 6 pots. We will be doing several techniques and glazes. It would be
good to have some tiles - regular flat, approx. 5x5 inch tiles (like you would
put on a wall- not self-supporting) to practice before you use your 'good'
pots. Terra sigillata is not required. Texture is ok and can be good to try on
a couple.
Obvara:
Minimum 1 pot - looks best on terra sigillata pots - but is not necessary. You
can use a regular bisqued raku-ware pot. If you have access to terra sig, you
may apply it and bring the bisqued piece. If you don't have access to terra sig
and want to use it, bring a BONE DRY pot, and we will apply it and bisque in
class. Texture is ok and can be good to try.
Horsehair
raku: Minimum 1 pot - looks best on terra sigillata pots - but is not
necessary. You can use a regular bisqued raku-ware pot. If you have access to
terra sig, you may apply it and bring the bisqued piece. If you don't have
access to terra sig and want to use it, bring a BONE DRY pot, and we will apply
it and bisque in class. We will be making coloured terra sig. as an option.
Texture doesn't work well.
Naked raku/shadow crackle: Minimum 2 pots - must
be done on pots with terra sigillata. We have 2 techniques to try. If you have
access to terra sig, you may apply it and bring the bisqued piece. If you
don't have access to terra sig and want to use it, bring BONE DRY pots, and we
will apply it and bisque in class. We will be making coloured terra sig. as an
option. The pots shouldn’t have any texture.
It's recommended to bring more than the minimum
number of pots. It's better to have too many pots than not enough, and we will
likely be able to fire more.
Please be aware that students will be expected
to assist with studio clean-up.
If you have any questions or concerns.
Email: lisaskogceramics@gmail.com
Come eager to learn and have a good time doing it
