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Raku from Phoenix Workshop

March 5, 2018RakuDavid

A ceramic vase with a rounded body and narrow neck, featuring abstract black, white, and brown painted patterns on a smooth surface, displayed against a plain white background.

A ceramic vase with a round body and a narrow neck, featuring an abstract design with bold black curves and green accents on a white background.

A ceramic vase with a wide body and narrow neck, featuring a marbled pattern in gray, black, beige, and cream tones, set against a white background.

[More about Raku…]

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otterpottery

74 Johnson Avenue
Markerville, Alberta -
Phone 403-638-5177

The year’s final 6-week #potteryclasses in #Sund

The year’s final 6-week #potteryclasses in #Sundre are starting up the week of November 5th. For information and to enroll go to http://www.otterpottery.com/pottery-classes/ . This teapot is out of last week’s wood firing. We reached 2228 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of the wood used burnt very hot but gave little of the desired ash deposits. A combination of woods will be used next time. Still a lovely pot. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #woodfiredpottery #lessons #arts #woodfired #teapot

When spraying glazes, the color graduations give t

When spraying glazes, the color graduations give the plate a soft look. Also, some affects are caused by the layering of glazes. When green glaze is applied first and then a white glaze applied over top, you get the large green specks. Applying the reverse gives a different result. For the fall #potteryclasses here in #Sundre, you should book now. Pottery classes are available all summer. There is a one day, two day and a 6 week course available. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #lessons #art.

Some more pots made from the riverside earthen war

Some more pots made from the riverside earthen ware clay. The foreign particles in it were mainly grass/weeds and the odd pebble probably placed there when the river was high. It is a very nice clay to throw. I threw these three pieces and then tried different glazes on them - these fit very good. Even the tricky crawling glaze. On another piece the glaze was a bad fit and it cracked the pot. Unfortunately, the #potteryclasses here in #Sundre do not use this type of clay. Space is available in the pottery classes. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #earthenware #terracotta #lessons #art #redclay

Just like white over black gives a speckled patter

Just like white over black gives a speckled pattern, white over green gives a similar pattern. On a closer look the pattern of dots is fewer, irregular and less defined. This Butter Dome will be at the #Bergen #christmasmarket, 10 kms south of #Sundre on November 24th. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #butterdish

Having not worked with porcelain much it was time

Having not worked with porcelain much it was time to make a plate. Porcelain is fickle, so I heard, the plate didn’t develop the dreaded S-Crack. I’ll attribute that to luck. But after throwing this I applied porcelain orange slip and a red slip at random. The red needs some adjustments! Trimming the inside of the plate revealed the color combinations against a bright white. Join us for the next #potteryclasses in #Sundre starting the 3rd week of March or so. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. To be the first to find out the date, leave your name and email address and you will be added to our mailing list. .#Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #porcelain #porcelainslips #wheelthrowing #plates

Learning to combine glazes takes time. This time w

Learning to combine glazes takes time. This time with a sponge. Not too much and not too little. Join us for the #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of March 25th. We have space available for every evening 7 to 10 pm if you would like to come and have some fun creating. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics #potteryglazes

Reposting due to poor picture quality. Learning to

Reposting due to poor picture quality. Learning to combine glazes takes time. Not too much and not too little. Join us for the #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of March 25th. We have space available for every evening 7 to 10 pm if you would like to come and have some fun creating. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics #potteryglazes

In the majority of the clay plaques I have made mo

In the majority of the clay plaques I have made more than 40% have water in them. This is to be expected as I worked as a white-water rafting guide for about 30 years. I have spent a lot of time on the water in my life. By raft, I have traveled through areas that are only accessible by water and are wilderness. At some specific points on the river, it wasn’t unusual for people to comment on how beautiful the view was. Again, proof that we are wired to see the beauty around us, but we must slow down to truly see. These are two plaques, done in different types of clay, that loosely depict the same rapids on the Red Deer River. The waterfall is the last set of rapids on the river just before the take out.

Unfortunately, the #potteryclasses here in #Sundre

Unfortunately, the #potteryclasses here in #Sundre does not demonstrate barrel firing. This example of a barrel fired urn has been enhanced by wrapping steel wool around the pot, adding salt (ice melt) and poppy seeds. Another wrapping of aluminium foil holds these additions against the clay. During firing, these ingredients smoked or fumed, and that stained the clay. After the firing, the charred bits and residue were wiped off the pot. There is no glaze on barrel fired work. This technique doesn’t get hot enough to melt a glaze. They are permanently stained. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #barrelfiredpottery

Every artist goes through different stages of work

Every artist goes through different stages of work they produce throughout their lives. With many different firing techniques there is a lot to learn until you find the work that speaks to you and for you. At each stage I thought this is going to be my signature type of work. And then, some ideas start to incubate, and you find some restrictions to the pottery making you are immersed in. Immersed is a good word to describe what it is like to suddenly feel driven to explore new boundaries of clay. This weeks theme is clay work for your walls.

A French Butter Dish. Keep your butter nice and cr

A French Butter Dish. Keep your butter nice and creamy all the time while sitting on the table. The butter goes in the bell-shaped top. Put enough water in the base to submerge the rim of the top to make an air tight seal. Makes a great Christmas Gift. I will be at the #Bergen #christmasmarket, 10 kms south of #Sundre on November 24th. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #butterdish

In the last posting, did you notice the wave shape

In the last posting, did you notice the wave shaped shadow cast by the sculpture. Therefore, both of these pieces were also wave shaped. A little something to hang back about and not point out right away. These pieces of wall art are about textures. The leather frames the work. It looks and feels so different from the craggy canyons and hills of the landscapes of these pieces. This is a raku type of clay, but I wanted to fire it in a low temperature barrel fire. They both were placed in a barrel full of wood chips, bark, saw dust, pine cones and roots. The wood was lit to burned in the barrel all night. These two pieces were discovered hidden amongst the ashes and incombustibles.

A set of 3 nesting bowls with the Northern Lights

A set of 3 nesting bowls with the Northern Lights and a starry sky. A panoramic view of the lights dancing around the rim. There will be #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of May 27th. I have changed one class to making pottery using molds with one class on the wheel. Still 6 lessons. We have space available for every evening 7 to 10 pm if you would like to come and have some fun creating. Mid-Day classes will be available starting in July. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics #potteryglazes #slipcasting

My first try at making a dozen mugs to specificati

My first try at making a dozen mugs to specification. I hope the customer likes them. I could barely get my hand in them!

Remember, #potteryclasses in #Sundre. This lidded

Remember, #potteryclasses in #Sundre. This lidded pot has been heated in a special dedicated kiln. Once the black glaze develops, a salt is placed in the kiln and it vaporizes. Everything in the kiln is then covered with a thin film of material. This effect is the same as gasoline on water. The thin film reflects light from the surface and the base of the film. The interference of the reflected light waves creates the color patterns as the film varies in thickness. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #sundreclayart #ceramica #raku #lessons #handthrown

With sculpture I try different glazes, textures an

With sculpture I try different glazes, textures and shapes. There are many types of glazes that you can`t put on a pot and then call it food safe. These pieces are so interesting to touch. The white glaze is a crawling glaze. You brush it on the pot and in the kiln, the heat makes the glaze melt. This is when the white glaze travels due to surface tension to accumulate at different spots. There is no control on this. It is very exciting to open the kiln and see what new surface has formed each time. Isn`t that great??

A favorite raku dish where there so much happening

A favorite raku dish where there so much happening in a small space.The #potteryclasses here in #Sundre still have room for students. Everyone is welcome. Sundre #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #Raku

The #potteryclasses in Sundre have shown me that a

The #potteryclasses in Sundre have shown me that all people have a creative side. Clay is perfect for taking risks with your ideas, but you have to be ready to give yourself a chance. Like everything, you gain some skills with the basics before you can go out on your own to explore your own ideas. Such is the case with this gorgeous platter. Throw the design rules out so that you make something that is completely your own and beautiful.

This is a vase I made several years ago. It was in

This is a vase I made several years ago. It was initially glazed with an ash glaze on a brown clay. You can see the brown rivulets stopping at the base. The whole vase looked that brown color, pretty boring. Comparing it to my recent work, I was getting embarrassed looking at it. I have liked the response of how the Nuka glaze has been working out, so I applied some glaze and re-fired the vase. It was worth it. The brown clay is highlighted by the bright whites and blue of the new glaze. Now you see the older brown glaze as an echo of the Nuka glaze. Join us for #potteryclasses in #Sundre starting the week of January 21st. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #ashglaze

Oops! My hand was too big for the greenware mug an

Oops! My hand was too big for the greenware mug and the wall of the cup broke. Suddenly, they became candle holders. An accident can trigger a new way to think about what to make. Join us for #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of July 9th. For the summer classes are available afternoons and evenings. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics

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