- Newsletter - 

The Newsletter for Raku Artists and Raku Art Lovers
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
June 2005 (Part III)
Issue #32
Published by
Gary R. Ferguson - Raku Artist
http://www.garyrferguson.com
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 Part I   Part II   Part III

In This Issue
 While the Smoke Clears
 Icy Raku Sweet Spot
 Stop Cracking Slabs
 Raku Bisquing
 Raku Beading Glaze
* Raku and Alcohol (no not Booze!)
* Raku Links
* Workshops

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
"Bought your book - great compendium!"
http://www.rakuglazes.com
~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

* Raku & Alcohol (no not Booze) *

I recently went to an art festival where a Raku artist Bruce Odell was doing a Raku demonstration, which was cool, and different from any I've seen. His pots had clear
crackle and a copper luster glaze. When he took it out of the kiln. He left it in the open air for a few minutes to get the clear crackle process started, then he sprayed a mixture of what he said was alcohol, corn oil, and water on the pot to somehow initiate the copper coloration process. He had a tub of coarse sawdust which he made a hole it then put the pot in it and covered it up to the hole in the top and after a few minutes of full reduction he started moving around the sawdust and exposing parts of the pot to air to "selectively" paint with the copper achieving whatever color he wanted wherever he wanted. I've never seen anyone exercise this type of control over the reduction and copper coloration process.

I recently bought some denatured alcohol that I saw in an explanation of what Charlie Riggs used in his copper matt
reduction process. So, I have assumed that Bruce Odell was using denatured alcohol in his mix but I don't know percentages of the mixture. I'm a little hesitant to just mix some denatured alcohol, corn oil and water in whatever amount and spray a red hot Raku pot with it. I'd like to
continue to live for a while yet. You wouldn't happen to have heard of this and know what the mix would be for this?

Was thinking of trying this with the Copper Luster II recipe from your glaze recipe ebook since it calls for sawdust reduction.

Have any ideas on this technique?

PS. Here is a link describing Charlie Rigg's Technique:
http://www.potters.org/subject15943.htm

Regards,
Brian D.

I have not actually used alcohol in my reduction process yet,but I have talked to a couple of potters that have. It is my understanding they used just the alcohol in a sprayer and this created the reduction process. I would imagine that mixing the alcohol, water, and oil together would add to the variability because I don't think these mix well together and would have different impacts on the reduction process.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Raku Pottery by Robert Piepenburg The must have "Bible" of Raku http://www.garyrferguson.com/piepenburg
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

* Click Away *

My eBay Listings http://tinyurl.com/tn08
Just Raku Blog http://justraku.blogspot.com
Just Raku Logowear http://www.cafepress.com/justraku
Got Raku? http://www.cafepress.com/gotraku
Just Raku Archive http://www.JustRaku.com

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Raku - John Mathieson http://tinyurl.com/3f5yh
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

* Workshops, Ads, etc. *

Please let me know of any Raku workshops in your area.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Raku: Investigations Into Fire by David Jones
Order 30% off at: http://tinyurl.com/8m5x
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

This newsletter is send to opt-in members only. If this issue was forwarded to you and you would like your own copy each month send an email to subscribe@garyrferguson.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

If you wish to no longer receive this newsletter send an email to unsubscribe@garyrferguson.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Disclaimer: Just Raku, the owner(s) and representative(s) of this website and newsletter will not be held liable for any direct or indirect losses or damages originating from the use of any information listed on our website or in our newsletters. By using this site and newsletter you agree to indemnify and hold all owners and representative parties of Just Raku harmless from any claim or demand originating out of your use of the Just Raku website and/or newsletters. Use of our website and newsletters is an indication of your complete understanding and acceptance of these Terms of Service.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
JUST RAKU (C) Copyright 2002-2005 Gary R. Ferguson