Raku is kind of like magic - it involves chemical reactions, intense heat and puffs of smoke. It's unpredictable - you never know what colour your glazes will come out as it all depends on the amount of oxygen and other scientific things which I don't quite understand...
It's the best fun- and so exciting when you wipe the soot off your pots and see what you've got!
I only took three things to fire -
I drew on some lines and spots with melted wax and them painted on the glaze - the small one with spots was supposed to come out a bright copper colour and the other two were a white crackle glaze -
Then you carefully lift the roof off the kiln...
And quickly drop the pots into bins full of combustible material such as newspaper or sawdust...
After they've been in the smoke for a while - you can vary the time depending on the finish you're after - you lift them out with tongs and wipe away the soot.
Ta-dah!
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Here are my three - the polka dot one came out an iridescent bluey colour which I'm not sure I like... it might grow on me though!
I made this terracotta pot about 8 years ago - I didn't realise how similar it was to the others until I put them next to each other -
