Fired Up With Raku

The origins of raku can be traced back hundreds of years to Japan, where it was used as the traditional method of creating clay bowls for the tea ceremony. Over the years potters have embraced and adapted the methods, celebrating the remarkable but unpredictable results achieved using raku techniques.The author, who has specialized in raku for over twenty years, considers the origins of raku before offering over 300 glaze recipes. A selection of other potters also share their ideas, and with one hundred photographs of raku-fired pieces, Fired Up With Raku offers inspiration to all potters and is an invaluable source of information and advice for all ceramicists. Includes over 300 glaze recipes. Superbly illustrated with one hundred colour photographs of raku-fired pieces. Irene Poulton has specialized in raku firing for over twenty years and her work is exhibited in both Australia and the USA.

Advanced techniques in raku firing; covers production, kiln construction, glaze formulation, tools and more.

Covers such topics as the history and philosophy of raku, types of clay, forming techniques, firing, glazes and decoration. Types of kilns and kiln construction are also fully explained and the book includes a gallery of works from around the world along with updated clay and glaze recipes.

Learn the key techniques, tips, and tricks for pit, barrel, raku, and wood firing. Fall in love with flames, wood, and the effect that unique firing methods have on pottery. Move beyond the electric kiln and explore the dramatic surfaces of raku, the flashes of salt firing, and the rustic look of ash rivulets. In this book, Lindsay Oesterritter provides a crash course in the most accessible methods of alternative firing. Raku firing requires minimal equipment and can easily be fueled with a standard propane tank. Likewise, pit and barrel firing do not require much in the way of initial investment. Yet all these techniques provide an immediate glimpse into the magic of firing. Bright reds and blues, dramatic black and white crackle, even metallic luster are instantly possible. For more experienced potters and studios looking to offer more, Oesterritter also explores wood-fired kilns. Drawing on years of experience and extensive interviews with fellow wood-fire potters, there is no comparable resource on the market. Features on top potters working today get to the heart of specialty techniques and asides show firing variations and traditional kilns in different cultures around the world. A gallery of showstopping work from a diverse group of artists round out the package and inspire you to get started.

Contemporary Raku is a complete guide to this exciting, dramatic and beautiful art form. It explains the making, glazing and firing methods employed for producing Raku-ware, and features contributions and insights from leading makers. Recognizing the deeper values of the practice, the book also considers the influences and sources of inspiration behind the work of these makers. It introduces the necessary tools and equipment, and advises on essential health and safety measures. It explains how to make vessels and forms with step-by-step photo sequences. Recipes for clay bodies and glazes for the beginner and the more experienced maker are included. Details are given on the Raku-firing process and the range of kilns used. Finally, it explores the practice of 'Naked Raku'. With over 300 illustrations, it is a stunning and detailed account to this magical process.

Freeing clay from technical constraints, lightening pieces, modeling large, slender forms . . . These ceramicists’ dreams become reality with paper clay! Complete Guide to Paper Clay thoroughly and accurately introduces this versatile material of clay and fibers, and showcases its distinctive characteristics and advantages. Liliane Tardio-Brise illustrates step by step the reactions of paper clay to the usual techniques of ceramics—pinch building, coils, slabs, wheel throwing, etc. The cellulose fibers in paper clay give it new properties that typical clay cannot attain. Rehydrating paper clay pieces brings back their suppleness and allows them to accept deformations, easily repair cracks, and be built on with new clay pieces. Paper clay lends itself to all finishes, can be air dried and/or fired, and, because the fibers burn off when fired, finished pieces are lighter and can be built taller and still maintain their stability. Explore the many possibilities of paper clay with the ten projects in the book, which each use very different properties of the clay to a variety of effects. Once you see the versatility of paper clay, you’ll be ready to try your own sculptures in this adaptable medium.

This book focuses on Art and Design Education Research. Gathering 72 papers illustrated with diagrams and tables, they provide state-of-the-art information on infrastructure and sustainable issues in Art and Design, focusing on Design Industrial Applications, Visual Communication and New Media, Art Education Research, Cultural Studies, and the Social Implications of Art. They also offer detailed information on innovative research trends in Design Technology and Multimedia Design, as well as a compilation of interdisciplinary findings combining the Humanities and Quality of Life in Art and Design.

Raku is an ancient ceramics technique enjoying a modern-day renaissance. This groundbreaking new entry in the highly successful 500 series demonstrates the vitality and invention of today's raku ceramics. Objects including cups, plates, bowls, vases, and statuary contribute to this international gallery of work juried by Jim Romberg, one of the leading practitioners and teachers of raku in the world."