楽焼

More Raku Saggar "Faux Pit Fire" Attempts

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You may recall I previously experimented with using raku aluminum foil saggars to approximate pit firing. That first time, I just tried it on one piece of burnished pottery; I liked the results!

At this recent workshop, I did two more. I also added some combustibles I hadn’t yet tried: Miracle Gro fertilizer crystals and Zep Root Kill crystals (copper sulfate pentahydrate). If I were doing actual, controlled experiments, I would test one variable at a time and then combinations of two at a time, three, and so forth. However, I have to pay firing fees for each piece of pottery I take to these workshops, so instead I’m being pretty liberal with my variables.

I strategically placed root kill crystals, Miracle Gro, coffee grounds, banana peel, copper mesh, copper wire, and steel wool in and around the bowl below. This time, I tacked the crystals and powder to the foil and the bowl with hairspray, so it could stay in contact with the interior and exterior sides instead of just falling to the bottom. I wrapped that all fairly tightly with a layer of aluminum foil. Then I poured some salt on and added another two layers of aluminum foil, hoping to get some cool fuming reactions.

I waited to see how the bowl turned out before committing to doing another with this same finishing technique. I admit that I was hoping the new crystals I added would have contributed a wider range of colors, but I nevertheless liked the result.

However, I wanted even more finer carbon marks on my second piece (a plate), so I used the same ingredients and added a small sprinkling of sugar as well. I again put some salt between the first and second layer of aluminum, and it didn’t seem like it required a third foil layer for coverage (it was easier to wrap the flatter form) so it got fired with just two.

I adore this plate - it’s either tied for my favorite piece from this firing or might take first place.

New Raku Copper Glaze Pottery

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Since I focused on hump mold pottery for this workshop, I was able to bring a number of pieces with surface texture. In my opinion, I thought copper glazes would be the best choice for those textures! On all of these pieces, I only glazed the top or interior, and left the outside and rim unglazed to carbon trap smoke and become a matte dark gray. I did some planning and sketches ahead of time, and decided I preferred that contrast more than doing a copper glaze exterior as well

I used a variety of glazes both in combination and individually on a couple pieces. They included Tutti Frutti, Blue Copper Flash, Blue Silver Luster, Golden Rainbow, Peacock, Lithium Carbonate and Midnight Luster.

Here is a textured plate with Tutti Frutti on the outer rim and Blue Copper Flash on the inside.

Next is a similar plate, glazed entirely with Golden Rainbow.

This plate was more experimental - I left some geometric shapes that aligned with the texture I imprinted unglazed, so they joined the base and rim in becoming matte dark gray. Then I glazed aligning with the texture again in three segments: Golden Rainbow, Blue Silver Luster, and Midnight Luster.

This is a small, curved dish. I no longer recall what I did with the glazing on this one, but I’m pretty sure it was a mix!

This bowl is the other piece tied for my favorite from this workshop! It has light texture and was glazed on the interior toward the rim with Tutti Frutti and toward the bottom with Blue Copper Flash.

I never know how lithium carbonate will come out - sometimes it’s gorgeous, sometimes it’s meh, and often I over-apply it and undesirable results like blistering occur. I decided to try it on this bowl, and I’m happy that this time I didn’t over apply. I was hoping for one of the radiant, glossy finishes it can do, but it chose a more satin, sedate finish. I still like it!

I refired this large dish after putting a bit more glaze on, as the way the glaze appeared on the first firing was to my mind not pleasing (though others said they really liked it). Though refiring stresses a piece and can cause it to crack or lead to even worse glaze results, in this case it came out whole and I much prefer it in its second evolution!