Real Deal Case Colors

[B. Dudley]

Dean,

I Don't want to drift off topic too much, but the picture you posted of your nieces vase is nice. I believe that this piece was Raku fired. This is a process where the clazed piece is fired to temp. and then removed at temp and then placed in a trash can with straw, hay, papers and other organtic materials. It creates a wonderful effect.

There is also an old Native american method called pit firing which is just the bare unglazed clay that is buried in a pit with a fire in other organic mateirals. And left to smolder for days. That process is very unpredictable, but can sometimes yield some great colors.

I was a Ceramic arts major in college. So it is a subject that I am familar with.