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RAKU “PLUS” WORKSHOPS
...check with Tom for Spring/Summer/Fall dates
SEND ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS FOR NOTIFICATION
NOTE : SORRY...ALL WORKSHOPS SINCE 2020 HAVE BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL SUPPORT AND FRIENDSHIP OVER THE PAST YEARS.
RAKU “PLUS” WORKSHOP :
A full weekend of glazing and fast-firing Raku, including alternative and advanced techniques such as Naked Raku, Horsehair Raku, and Sagger Firing, and the new/old Obvara technique (do a Google search and be surprised!)
All aspects will be covered…discussion of clays, glazes, decorating techniques, aesthetics, safety issues, etc…
Special Raku clay should be used (usually containing lots of grog to handle the thermal shock) and bisque-fired beforehand to a typical cone 06 temperature.
Glazes : There will be a full range of my special Raku glazes and examples at the studio. Feel free to bring any of your own commercial Raku or other low-fire glazes or recipes you want to try. (Our firings are generally in the 1750 – 1800 degree F. range.) If you are an experienced Raku-er and have access to Raku glazes, feel free to glaze some (not all) pieces ahead of time so we can get some early results.
**NOTES ABOUT YOUR WORK:
Many ask how many pieces to bring… While we try to fire as many pieces as possible, as a general rule-of-thumb, you should be able to fire about 10 "medium- sized" pieces (8 " high X 8"wide)…more if you work small, fewer if you work large (such as large, wide bowls that take up a large amount of kiln space). This is not to discourage you from working large !...we just might not be able to fire as many pieces…but bring them along!
Regarding flat pieces (such as tiles)…please keep these to a minimum, as they actually take up a lot of space (they must be fired flat on a separate shelf, and removed on that shelf to avoid cracking… Raku doesn't like flat!)
Finally, bring a few smooth pieces (burnished or polished with terra-sigilatta) for doing "Horsehair", "Naked" Raku , Sagger, and/or Obvara firings. (If you have access to coarse, long horsehair, bring it along !)
BRING LOTS OF PIECES …and then be selective !
OTHER USEFUL ITEMS : Leather work gloves, protective clothing (old long-sleeve cotton sweatshirt) and hat (cotton, no metal straps), old shoes that won’t melt, good brushes for glazing , underglazes and anything else you might want to try…
AND A GOURMET (OF COURSE!) LUNCH DISH TO SHARE !!! (Refrigerator and stove/microwave available at the house.) . Coffee/Tea/Water and Bagels provided each AM.
*Note: In the case of a one-day Workshop, our focus will be on firing as many pieces as possible. More experienced Raku-ers might want to glaze some pieces ahead of time (given access to glazes) so we can begin the firing earlier in the AM.
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