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The Newsletter for Raku Artists and Raku Art Lovers In This Issue ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ Happy New Year! Well I hope you survived the holidays and you are looking forward to an exciting new year. I know I am. I can hardly wait to get going on a new year's worth of Raku. I've been working on new ideas, forms, and glazes that I want to try in the New Year. Look out 2003! I want to let you know I've registered the JustRaku.com domain name, so now you can get to the newsletter archive by using the http://www.JustRaku.com link. I've also built a new Recommended Books page http://www.garyrferguson.com/books.htm,
which includes books I have purchased and enjoyed over the years. Feel As always I look forward to your feedback, suggestions, questions, and article ideas. You can send these to me at: editor@garyrferguson.com. Good Luck on those New Year's Resolutions! Gary R. Ferguson ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ December was a little slow as far a producing new work goes. The last of my 2002 shows were in November so there wasn't a big crunch to fire many pots in the cold weather. I was excited with the volume of sales via my web site in 2002 though (especially in December). Just in December, I got to add two more US States to my "Where my pieces have been collected" list (http://www.garyrferguson.com/bio.htm) Overall, my sales from my website through the year equaled the sales of an average show, so I'm quite pleased with that. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * Tips and Techniques * You can receive a f r e e "Kiln Firing Guidelines" poster if you send and email to mailto:paragonind@worldnet.att.net to request one. The poster includes a Firing Checklist, Kiln Loading Guidelines, Temperature equivalents for cones, F/C conversion, Cones through a peephole, and Monthly Maintenance checklist. It is a really handy poster to have by your kiln. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ Piepenburg Workshop II - Hand building Last month I covered the wheel techniques that Robert Piepenburg used during a November workshop. This month I cover the handbuilding techniques he shared. Piepenburg basically creates two types of hand built sculpture - the totem and the slab abstracts. The totems are tall narrow structures usually composed to two or three separate pieces (for ease of firing, shipping, etc.). He creates the base by taking a fat coil and inserting a broom handle down the middle of the coil and then rolling the coil using the handle. This thins the walls and creates a long cylindrical column. The coil is typically rolled with a little more force on one end to create a tapered cylinder. Then additional solid coils, clay rods and abstract forms are added to create the upper portion of the totem. Piepenburg also creates tabletop abstract slab forms that appear much like natural granite, slate, or rock slabs. He creates these using fairly thick (1 inch) and fairly stiff slabs. The slabs are scored and then placed along the edge of a table to snap into pieces. This starts the formation of a very organic edge. Piepenburg further enhances the edge and sides by using a fettling knife to carve additional creases, and to slice and pry chunks out of the surface. The results are slabs that look like weathered slate. These slabs are then joined together, but not using the traditional score and slip method. He uses small nails pushed into each side. Two nails are typically used at each connection point, each angled in an opposite direction to create a sort of X pattern in the joint that is actually quite strong. Using slip to hold the slabs together via a very small surface area would never work. Piepenburg also talked about his wife's (Gail Piepenburg) hand build Triptychs (3-part) and Diptychs (2-part) wall art. The pieces are created to look very thick but are actually built over a foam pad creating a hollow back. The face of each form are then cut, scored, layered with additional slabs, ripped, etc. to create a very organic and "active" piece. Some pictures from the workshop can be seen at: Next month I will cover the glazing and firing techniques he shared during the workshop that both he and his wife use with their work. ~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- * Q & A * Q: What type of clay can I use to Raku? A: Almost any type of clay can be used for Raku, some of it just survives the process a lot better than others, or more care has to be taken during the firing and reduction process for the various clays to survive. Generally I use a cone 10 stoneware clay body that has a small amount of grog to "open" up the body. There are specialized clay bodies that are mixed specifically for Raku, which may be your best option if you are new to Raku. I understand some potters even use porcelain, but have to fire more slowly and reduce carefully to avoid breaking every piece. In general almost any clay that can be fired to at least cone 06 (the higher is better), with sand or grog (the more the better) can be used to Raku. ~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- Piepenburg Crackle Method The following is how Piepenburg fires a clear crackle glaze. Do NOT fire in reduction (if you do you will get a gray appearance. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * Bookworm * Raku: Investigations Into Fire - David Jones This book, as with most books on Raku start with an overview of the history of Raku including the tea ceremony, different philosophies of Raku, how Raku came to America, and present day Raku. Next Jones moves on to covering the materials involved in Raku and the Raku process. There is a considerable section on glazes, glaze chemistry, and glaze testing techniques. He then addresses the clay body and what makes a good Raku clay. The next section deals with kilns and the firing process. He details various forms of kilns and functionality but not actually constructing a kiln (for books on building a Raku kiln see - Raku: A Practical Approach or Raku Pottery at http://www.garyrferguson.com/books.htm Jones then includes a chapter on creativity, the search for ideas, and developing a style. This is a good activity for the intermediate to advanced artist - to find one's "voice." The last and largest chapter is what I will call the "eye candy" section. It includes a diverse sampling of Raku from a variety of artists (both Robert and Gail Piepenburg are included). Each artist has a summary statement of his or her work and inspirations for the art form. "This book is essential, not only for any potter interested in Raku, but also for collectors and those concerned with the development of ideas and traditions in ceramics." Jones. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ My full calendar can be seen at: http://www.garyrferguson.com/events.htm I've updated my calendar with the shows I expect to do in 2003. These are all tentative until the applications have been completed and accepted. Currently, the first show in 2003 will not be until June. This gives me lots of time for new work to be completed. It appears the "500 Bowls" book project is progressing by Lark Books http://www.larkbooks.com. I've received my slides back (with the page number they should appear). ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ * Click Away * Matthew & Mary Lovein Ed Risak Just Raku Newsletter Archive ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ If you wish to no longer receive this newsletter send an email to
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