RAKU

My first Collector Series was a limited edition body of work produced in small numbers. Series One was the first Raku range produced.  Raku means "enjoyment".

Raku firing, based on the traditional Japanese technique, requires heating the pottery quickly to high temperatures and cooling it quickly, resulting in unique and unpredictable results. 

Each piece is fired in a gas kiln to 1000 degrees till it reaches the 'glowing red hot' stage. It's quickly removed from the kiln and placed in a steel drum and covered in saw dust. The drum is sealed with a steel lid to create a reduction, an airtight oxygen free atmosphere, which is essential in creating the typical raku effect. This reduction phase combined with the thermal shock when each piece is placed into cold water, creates the unique cracks in the glaze.