When we came back in January we started 3 electives. I chose ceramics, graphic design and print. I started with ceramics. Our brief was to make 3 vessels- 1 angular, 1 curvy and 1 straight. We started by doing some mark making with paper and Indian ink. We also got the chance to throw a bowl on the wheel which was a great experience. The most exciting part of this elective was the raku firing process that we applied to some of our vessels.
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| Some examples of vessels |
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| Examples of vessels that were fired using the raku firing process. |
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| More examples of raku fired vessels |
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| mark making |
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| mark making |
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| mark making |
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| 3 vessels that I made initially-1 angular, 1 curvy and 1 straight. The 2 closed vessels were made using 2 pinch pots and then patted with wooden blocks to smooth them out. I later cut both shapes in half. | | | | | |
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| Making coil vessel |
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| final pieces ready for first firing | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| Throwing clay on the wheel. Making a hole in the centre. |
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| The following few photographs show the process of throwing a vessel on a wheel. |
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| Examples of mark making in the ceramics room. |
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| mixing ceramics inks |
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| Contextual: John Ffrench ceramic bowl |
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| beginning to paint fired bowl |
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| more examples of mark making |
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| more examples of mark making |
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| more examples of mark making |
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| ceramic inks |
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| drawing on the fired bowl with ceramics pencil. |
Contextual ceramics research by Sarah Ryan, a second cousin of mine. These beautiful pieces are on show in the city gallery in Limerick at the moment. Sarah Ryan's delicate forms are indicative of pollen spores where the multiplicity and variation of form are indicative of the organic world in all it's glory.
The following photographs show the process of the ancient Japanese firing technique -Raku.
The process of Raku firing differs from other firing methods because the pots are removed from the kiln at their maximum temperature.
Thermal shock of this rapid cooling is stressful on the pottery. It is achieved by using an open clay body. The porosity of the clay body acts like a shock absorber, preventing the body from immediately fracturing when the pot is removed from the kiln.
Raku glazes are often fractured, which are referred to as Crazing. These crackle glazes are enhanced by the post firing smoking of Raku pots that embeds carbon into the crackles of the glaze.
These photographs are all a bit mixed up!
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| The vessels were fired in a special raku kiln at 1000 degrees for 30 minutes and then put into bins of sawdust. |
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| When they were taken out of the bins of sawdust the vessels had a metallic tarnish over the part of the vessel that was dipped in glaze. |
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| After the sawdust the vessels were dunked in buckets of cold water. |
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| The metallic tarnish was scraped off to reveal a speckled white finish. |
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| Going a bit backwards! The raku kiln was fired up to 1000 degrees. |
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| Looking in at the vessels being fired at 1000 degrees. |
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| Taking the vessels out of the kiln. |
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| Putting the vessels into the kiln. All very backwards! |
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| pouring sawdust onto the fired vessels. |
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| Rewind again! We dipped the vessels into a flint glaze resist. |
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| When dipped into the sawdust the part of the vessel with the resist glaze has a reaction that causes the unusual white speckled effect. |
