Hot Weather, Hot Cat, Hot Kiln

It has been hot, even hotter in the studio the past week.  Many days both kilns have been clicking away which makes the studio really, really hot.

Even my fluffy, long hair cat, Raku is hot.


 




Two kilns???? You may be thinking... Yes,(I say with a big smile).  I got a second kiln a few weeks ago, it is an itty bitty little thing. 

The Paragon Home Artist kiln is only 12" x 12" and plugs into a regular wall plug!  It even has wheels and one of those pull up luggage handles so I can wheel it outside for Raku or move it out of the way when not being used.

My husband, Stu calls it the Easy Bake after the kids play oven.  Adorable, easy and fast!  The new kiln allows me to offer 24 hour turn around on Paint Your Own Pottery and Fused Glass projects.  Oh so fun!

Keep Cool, Teresa

Summer

Summer arrived yesterday... and is leaving again tomorrow.  So sad.  It has been wonderful having the big roll up door open, it is South facing, so the sunshine beams in all day long.  The studio feels so much larger.

With summer comes all sorts of activities, "Truckee Thursday" begins this week.  New this year, Donner Pass Road will be closed off to cars.  Stop at our booth to say "hi". 

The first Raku firing will be this Saturday from 2 - 7 pm at the studio.  It is so exciting!  Probably not an issue this year.... if you are going to Raku fire your own piece of pottery be sure to wear long pants, long sleeve shirt and closed toe shoes.  Using tongs, we take the pottery out of the special Raku kiln when the pieces are around 1500 degrees!  That is hot!

Kids Camp starts next week with a 60's theme- "Peace, Love & Pottery".  I'm so excited, have some really fun projects planned.  This first week, we will be playing in clay, both handbuilding and on the wheel, doing some fused glass and so much more.

And, of course, ARTour, North Lake Tahoe's Open Studio event.  Two weeks of fun are planned July 9-11 & July 16-18.  I'm really looking forward to ARTour this year, with the new studio, I can leave the "working" area as is without to much interruption to production and class schedules.

Lets hope summer comes and stays for a while!

Teresa

Clayworks at Kilohana

Clayworks is a really cool spot, located just South of Lihue on an old plantation, this pottery studio and gallery has it all.  The set up is simular to T Pots Pottery iwth classes and instruction.  Clayworks is the perfect rainy day activity for those on vacation, looking for something fun and different to do.  The "studio" with wheels, work tables, and kilns are outside under a covered porch in a tranquil, garden like setting. 

If throwing is not your thing, Clayworks also offers paint your own bisque and they seem to specialize in Raku firing.

Inside is a retail gallery space with some beautiful pottery from different artists.  The prices are reasonable and they will ship.

Next time you are on kauai, be sure to check out  Clayworks!

What is Raku

Raku is a blast! Raku is a pottery firing process where pots are lifted out of the really hot kiln with long tongs just after the glaze has melted and before the pots or kiln cool. The pots are still glowing red when they are placed into a metal container with a combustible material (newspaper, pine needles, sawdust, etc.). The combustible material quickly catches fire and a lid is placed on top to snuff out the oxygen. The fire and pots in the container are starved for oxygen and try to pull it from the glaze, this lack of O2 results in beautiful pieces of pottery. These pots do not hold water and are not safe for food.