After the endless winter, I am able to raku fire once more. The colors of copper are back in my vocabulary!

Spring Schedule 2010:

March 5-7 Columbia, SC State Fairgrounds

March 26-28 Chantilly, Va Dulles Expo Center

April 9-11 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum

April 10 Greensboro, NC State Street Celebration

April 23-25 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Seagrove Pottery Festival

May 1-2 Richmond, VA Art in the Park
Byrd Park

May 8-9 Bethesda, Md Bethesda Art Show
Bethesda Arts District

May 15-16 Norfolk VA Stockley Gardens Art Show
Stockley Gardens

May 28-30 Charleston, SC Spoleto Arts Festival

These pieces have been made and are now drying on my kitchen counter. In the winter, many times I bring my finished work into the kitchen for several day of drying before the first firing (bisque firing). I will glaze these pieces after they are bisque and then raku fire them. It is always a guessing game in the winter for a firing day. I like it to be in the mid 50's and those days are few and far between. I will post pictures of these pieces when they are finally fired. I will also post my spring schedule soon.

These are two new pieces that are part of a gallery show in Winston-Salem at the Gallery of the Arts. It is a show that features work that is 10" x 10", and under $100.00. The first piece is a Locked Box. If you lift the piece on the front the box will open. The second piece is a new concept, Raku Canyon. I love the southwest landscape and have done many painting from that area. I have never created the love of those rocks and canyons in clay. Why not?

This is a handbuilt raku piece that is 13" x 11.5" x 4.5". The lid lifts off. It is textured with a design on both sides and on the lid. It reflects all of the beautiful colors of copper

Fall Show Schedule 2009

Fall 2009 Show Schedule:

Sept. 26 - 27 Gallery on the Green
Matthews, NC ( Town Square)

Oct. 2-3 Art on Main
Henderson, NC (Main Street)

Oct. 10 - 11 Virginia Fall Foliage Festival Art Show
Waynesboro, VA

Oct. 16 - 17 - 18 Craftsmen Classic
Chantilly, VA (Dulles Expo)

Nov 6 - 7 - 8 Craftsmen Classic
Richmond, VA (old state fairgrounds)

Nov 20 - 21 - 22 Craftsmen Classic
Columbia, SC (state fairgrounds)

Nov. 27 - 28 - 29 Craftsmen Classic
Greensboro, NC

Raku Firing Process

What makes raku such a unique process? After a piece of pottery is placed into a special kiln it is fired up to 1900 degrees. At that temperature, the kiln is opened and the piece is moved to a trash can lined with news print. The piece is so hot that the paper catches on fire and burns up the piece. It is this post firing process that produces that moment of time in the fire that makes each piece unique. The colors of copper come from this fire as the copper is reduced chemically. It is a magical process like none other.