Raku Workshop with Brett Thomas July 17 and 18, 2010

Ceramic Supply Pittsburgh hosted a Raku Workshop at their facility in Carnegie, PA.  Brett Thomas is an educator, artist, and the founder of MobileRaku and lives outside of Philadelphia in Haverford, PA.

Brett arrived with his trailer full of everything necessary to do the workshop, except for the bisque pots, which the participants brought.  Carla arranged for lunch and the participant fee was very reasonable.  Brett's contact information is as follows:
Email: and Telephone: (610) 585 - 4434. 

Workshop participants on Saturday were as follows:  Paula Butterfield, Malia Bennett, Bill Homan, Gwendolyn Kiste, Kim and Jason Noel, Carla Flati, Lisa Sittig, Nick Weiss, Devin Yates, and Shelly Kelly.

Brett, (Mr. STP) Nick, Malia and Kiln #1.

Beginning the glazing.

The first glaze load.  Kiln was constructed on a warehouse cart with the wooden floor removed.  

Kiln top.  Brett made ceramic buttons to hold the fiber to the expanded metal shell.

Top is on and fire is lit!  Took about 40 minutes to get to temperature (Cone 06) for the first load.  About 20 minutes per load after that.

Malia is pulling the first pots out for the reduction process.  Brett provided the lidded buckets and newspaper.

Every job needs supervisors - Carla and Kim!

The second batch being pulled.  Everyone seemed pleased with the reduction effects.

Two pots to a bucket with about 10 seconds burn time before the lid was put on.

After reduction (3 to 5 minutes), pots were quenched in water.  Some in the tub and others that were more delicate were quenched by pouring water over them when they were sitting on the grass.

Participants were cautioned to wear sensible shoes and long pants and shirt.  As you can probably guess, this is Mr. Do What I Say,  Don't Do What I Do!  We call this Brett's Hot Foot Dance.  Seriously though, no one even got singed.

It was a hot day so everyone took advantage of the shade when they could.  Fortunately, Brett also brought a shade tent.   He thought of everything.

Nick at work glazing under Brett's watchful eye.  Actually, now that I look again, he's not watching, at least not watching Nick.  Hmmm.  

Ceramic Supply's retail shop.  Thanks to Carla, Lisa, Graham Turnbull, Ceramic Supply/Standard Ceramic for putting this together and being great hosts.  Special thanks to Brett Thomas, Mr. MobileRaku.  Another session tomorrow - 10 to 3.





Day Two, Sunday.  Participants:  Diane Pontoriero, Lon Wright, Gloria Pollock, Warren Ashbrook, NoelReynolds, Paula Butterfield, Malia Bennett, Lisa Sittig (and daughter), Carla Flati, and Brett  Thomas.

Finding the shade - it was hot!

Reducing.

Lon, waiting.

Shopping.

Fruits of their labor - Malia's piece.

Another Malia piece.

All Malia's.

I am not sure, but I think these are Carla's.

Various potters' pieces, some, I know, are Lisa's.

Warren's peacock.

Thanks, Brett.