Raku

Raku at Hesketh

This is an opportunity to fire pieces made outside the studio using our Raku glazes and an experienced potter firing the Raku kiln for you, although there will be an opportunity to participate in the firing process.

You should use a clay suitable for Raku firing (e.g. crank) and your work should be biscuit fired ready for glazing on the day.  Pieces should be no larger than 12 inches high or 12 inches wide and you can fire a maximum of three pieces.

A range of glazes and brushes will be provided and the cost includes all materials used and the firing.

Raku pots in the kiln

You will need to wear comfortable, casual clothes and if it's cold then warm clothing.  We will provide tea and coffee but you will need to bring your own packed lunch.

We can take a maximum of 6 people. If you would like to attend our next session please contact us.

Read on to find out what happens at our Raku sessions...

Raku: The Process

Pieces for Raku are first dipped or brushed with glazes then fired in our Raku kiln. During the firing process the temperature is carefully controlled by adjusting the gas and lifting the lid, this helps to settle the glaze on the pot before the pot is reduced at the next stage.

Once the pots have been fired, they are placed in a bin of newspaper, sawdust and ashes. The resulting fire and smoke creates wonderful patterns in the glazes, and glazes containing metal oxides are partially 'reduced'-- the oxide turns back to metal, giving swirls of shiny metalic colours.

After 10 - 15 minutes in the reduction bin, the pots are removed, carfully cooled, then washed and scoured to remove the lumps of carbon and ash. At this stage the true beauty of the new Raku pot appears from under the rather dirty surface.

Raku is a random process and it is very difficult to predict the pattern, effect and often the colour of the resulting pot. So, it's only at this stage that you begin to see the final result.

The finished Raku pot (as you can see on the left) has a mixture of the greens and browns of the glaze and has reduced inside to form copper. The glaze is crazed and the smoke from the reduction bin has turned the cracks black.