The special Raku Pottery piece that started it all! Joyce Furney, Artist
Several months ago, I happened to purchase the most beautiful piece of Raku Pottery and by looking at the bottom of the bowl, found out the artist's name was Joyce Furney and she owned her own pottery studio called The Clay Cellar.
I have a small collection of 11 pieces, but this one had the most amazing and brilliant iridescent reds I had ever seen so I emailed her after finding The Clay Cellar on a search engine.
Was I ever surprised to find out, she looked up The Arc of Alameda County(I always write down our agency's web address when I finish writing an email to someone) and told me she wanted to donate a piece of raku pottery to our agency for a special fundraising project, because of what she read on our web page!
After a number of emails, it was decided she would design a special raku pottery wall mounting, and have it partially completed, but she wanted some clients to help finish off the piece under my guidance. Clients from different programs will be able to help me on this project and we will take photos of clients working on this beautiful art piece. You can see the "Tree of Dreams" wall mounting work in progress Joyce created just for us at the top of this blog. The third photo down is the beautiful bowl I purchased that started it all.
The art work will arrive in a week's time. By that time, I will know which clients will be working on it, as I am sending a message to all program manager's who will invite two clients from each site to help on this project. Once completed, the wall mounting will be kept in the SCOPE adult day program/Administrative Offices lobby wall, until we have our awards dinner (date, time location to be discussed in the near future). At that time, it will go to the highest bidder in a special auction and the money will be given to The Arc of Alameda County. Some of the money donated will go toward resources for Art At Arc clients, such as purchasing special blank greeting cards and envelopes to display client's original art work, to purchase mats and frames to showcase client art work, etc.
Now, let's hear about Joyce Furney, the artist/owner of The Clay Cellar and Ray Freeby.
At the age of nine, I knew that one day I would be an artist. I was awarded B.F.A. in sculpture from Kansas State University in 1975. After thirteen years in the commercial art world and 31 hours of post graduate work in clay, I made the full time commitment to pottery and in 1983 started the Clay Cellar in rural Kansas. Ray Freeby, my life partner and maker of the dish and small/medium bowl forms joined the studio in 1990 and in 1992 we entered the wholesale marketplace. A studio staff helps make, glaze, fire and ship our raku pottery to our many wholesale and consignment accounts. Today's studio activities are concentrated in two major areas: the PRODUCTION DIVISION which consists of our GIFT LINE (slip cast ring boxes, candle holders, decorative eggs, etc.) and our DESIGNER LINE (raku slab built bowls, dishes platters and wall domes) and the CUSTOM DIVISION which consists of limited editions and one-of-a- kind hand built or wheel thrown CUSTOM ART VESSELS, and mixed media CONTEMPORARY TILE WALL INSTALLATIONS.
New for 1998 & 1999 is COMMISSION WORK for site specific corporate and residential settings. I have received commissions for mobiles, and am currently making corporate design presentations for large outdoor fountains and sculptures and continues to receive commissions for her mixed media Contemporary Tile Wall Installations. My design proposal starts with a site survey and analysis where I integrate all spatial relationships of the environment and architectural element of the site to create a dynamic custom design solution. I am very adamant about making these artworks part of a total sculptural environment, to create a focus of spatial/form relationships to the environment and the buildings that contain or are adjacent to the artwork.
New for 1998 & 1999 is COMMISSION WORK for site specific corporate and residential settings. I have received commissions for mobiles, and am currently making corporate design presentations for large outdoor fountains and sculptures and continues to receive commissions for her mixed media Contemporary Tile Wall Installations. My design proposal starts with a site survey and analysis where I integrate all spatial relationships of the environment and architectural element of the site to create a dynamic custom design solution. I am very adamant about making these artworks part of a total sculptural environment, to create a focus of spatial/form relationships to the environment and the buildings that contain or are adjacent to the artwork.
What Is Raku?
The Art of Raku is attributed to Zen Buddhist Monks of 16th Century Japan and was favored for the tea bowls of the great tea masters. In that culture and time Raku was much more than a method of making and firing pottery, it was a philosophy. The Japanese symbol for Raku can be translated as "enjoyment of freedom." However, as is often the case with adapting the philosophies of other cultures, we in the west have distilled Raku to a technical process. Raku is now generally accepted to mean a method of rapid firing and cooling of ceramic ware, and names the finished product.
Raku is the firing method used at The CLAY CELLAR. The process as we employ it involves the following: forms are either wheel- thrown or hand built, using a white raku clay body formulated to withstand great thermal shock. Metallic stains and engobes (colored clays) are often brushed on the greenware forms for decoration. When trimmed and dried, the vessels are bisque fired to cone 04. The forms are then glazed with either crackle white glaze or a variety of metallic luster glazes. When thoroughly dry the forms are gas-fired to 1660-1800 degrees.
Once glaze-mature temperature is reached, the kiln is shut off and opened. The forms are removed with raku tongs and placed in a reduction sand pit lined with paper. The hot form ignites the combustibles, and a lid is lowered over the ware, smothering the fire and starving it of oxygen. The forms remain in this smoky environment for 5 to 20 minutes. Three important reactions occur: First, the glazes are reduced. Since a fire needs a sufficient amount of oxygen to burn properly, the oxygen molecules contained in the clay and glazes are being removed from the glaze mix, thus reducing the glaze.
This produces the rich metallic luster colors ranging from oxidized copper greens through reduced copper blues, purples, plums, reds, and copper penny which are the hallmark of metallic luster raku glazes. Secondly, carbon from the smoke is being trapped in the white clay body, turning it gray to black wherever the glaze cracked or the body was left unglazed.
This reaction creates the traditional Raku crackle effect. The third important reaction is the additional cooling of the form. This helps prevent massive thermal shock cracks from occurring when the form is removed from the reduction barrel and quenched in water. The quenching is more important with metallic luster glazes than crackle white, because the water freezes the color and prevents re-oxidation from occurring. The form is then thoroughly washed, exposing the rich colors that lie beneath the carbon black. The Raku experience is serendipitous and more often than not yields spectacularly brilliant results.
There are three very important WARN!NG DISCLAIMERS we want to state very plainly. Due to the glaze chemistry and low firing process used:
1. RAKU IS NOT FOOD SAFE!
2. RAKU IS NOT WATER TIGHT!
3. RAKU IS FRAGILE! The metallic luster glazes we use contain carbonates, oxides, and nitrates that will leach out if in contact with food acids. Therefore NEVER USE A RAKU METALIC LUSTER VESSEL WITH FOOD. Consider them as vessels for visual pleasure and enjoy them in the love with which we make them. It should also be stated that even though their form may imply a function, that function is limited by the fragile nature of the non-vitrified clay body. Specifically in the case of vases, if used as a fresh cut flower vase, water would eventually leach through the porous clay and leave a stain on a wood table. Therefore if used with water use a plastic liner or place the vase on a glass plate to protect your furniture.
Raku should always be handled with care as it does not have the strength of stoneware. Whenever possible, use both hands to pick it up and never pick a piece up by its lip. Raku may be cleaned with a mild soap and water or lightly buffed with very fine (0000) steel wool.
Raku is the firing method used at The CLAY CELLAR. The process as we employ it involves the following: forms are either wheel- thrown or hand built, using a white raku clay body formulated to withstand great thermal shock. Metallic stains and engobes (colored clays) are often brushed on the greenware forms for decoration. When trimmed and dried, the vessels are bisque fired to cone 04. The forms are then glazed with either crackle white glaze or a variety of metallic luster glazes. When thoroughly dry the forms are gas-fired to 1660-1800 degrees.
Once glaze-mature temperature is reached, the kiln is shut off and opened. The forms are removed with raku tongs and placed in a reduction sand pit lined with paper. The hot form ignites the combustibles, and a lid is lowered over the ware, smothering the fire and starving it of oxygen. The forms remain in this smoky environment for 5 to 20 minutes. Three important reactions occur: First, the glazes are reduced. Since a fire needs a sufficient amount of oxygen to burn properly, the oxygen molecules contained in the clay and glazes are being removed from the glaze mix, thus reducing the glaze.
This produces the rich metallic luster colors ranging from oxidized copper greens through reduced copper blues, purples, plums, reds, and copper penny which are the hallmark of metallic luster raku glazes. Secondly, carbon from the smoke is being trapped in the white clay body, turning it gray to black wherever the glaze cracked or the body was left unglazed.
This reaction creates the traditional Raku crackle effect. The third important reaction is the additional cooling of the form. This helps prevent massive thermal shock cracks from occurring when the form is removed from the reduction barrel and quenched in water. The quenching is more important with metallic luster glazes than crackle white, because the water freezes the color and prevents re-oxidation from occurring. The form is then thoroughly washed, exposing the rich colors that lie beneath the carbon black. The Raku experience is serendipitous and more often than not yields spectacularly brilliant results.
There are three very important WARN!NG DISCLAIMERS we want to state very plainly. Due to the glaze chemistry and low firing process used:
1. RAKU IS NOT FOOD SAFE!
2. RAKU IS NOT WATER TIGHT!
3. RAKU IS FRAGILE! The metallic luster glazes we use contain carbonates, oxides, and nitrates that will leach out if in contact with food acids. Therefore NEVER USE A RAKU METALIC LUSTER VESSEL WITH FOOD. Consider them as vessels for visual pleasure and enjoy them in the love with which we make them. It should also be stated that even though their form may imply a function, that function is limited by the fragile nature of the non-vitrified clay body. Specifically in the case of vases, if used as a fresh cut flower vase, water would eventually leach through the porous clay and leave a stain on a wood table. Therefore if used with water use a plastic liner or place the vase on a glass plate to protect your furniture.
Raku should always be handled with care as it does not have the strength of stoneware. Whenever possible, use both hands to pick it up and never pick a piece up by its lip. Raku may be cleaned with a mild soap and water or lightly buffed with very fine (0000) steel wool.
Hi Shannon, I posted a comment but lost it when I looked at another topic on your blog. But, undaunted, I shall continue. Loved the article above as well as learning about the contributions from your clients in printing their artwork. Enjoyed learning what the Raku process is and seeing the end result by artist, Joyce Furney. Fabulous! I guess it's quite different from "Reiki" which is a Japanese form of stress reducton! Raku lasts longer. Good luck with Arc and will be on the look-out for art work to donate. Thanks, Pat Schally
ReplyDeleteHi Pat,
ReplyDeleteA special thank you goes out to you as you have also chosen to become a new member of The Arc of Alameda County. Now, with you being on the look out for art works to donate to our agency with the intent they go towards fundraising, this is beyond the call and duty of a friend. Thank you so very much. Shannon Jurich