mel jacobson on tue 2 mar 99
at the pigeon lake art camp it was often a need to have big group
raku firings.
doug johnson, kurt, and kevin would organize the group.
it was very much like a ballet.
everything went in a circle......big circle.......one person opened the kiln
door, people lined up with tongs....you would take a pot, move to a large
pile of sawdust.......bury the pot.......move away...get in line, reoad
kiln, start again.
all trash, tongs, everything was clean and tidy.
we always did this at night. people just loved it.......but, it was
organized.
safe.
i have a tiny five gallon pail lined with kaowool.......use a weed burner.
only use white glaze.........reduce to black clay body.
i like doing that alone....time everything.
but, man, do that for a pottery show and you will get twice the people.
demos sell like mad.
people can bring the family, kids...........and they say `wow, cool` a great
deal.
on several occasions i have hired high school kids to just raku in my
back yard while i have a summer back yard sale.
mobs of people.
now, i have to agree with tom wirt..(you know we are friends) work
your customers, give them new things to look at, new things to experience
at your sales......and they come back time after time.
some times i just set up a wheel on the deck and throw during a sale.
(make it look a little hard though, struggle a bit......drama.)
mel/mn
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
minnetonka, minnesota/ u.s.a.
Lyla Kaplan on thu 4 mar 99
>it was very much like a ballet.
If props go bad during showtime, then the cast is really tested. A couple
of summers ago, on one of the hottest days in north carolina, Charlie Riggs
was directing a group raku. Despite the heat, the dance was impeccable,
the results were marvelous, plenty of oohs and aahs from the audience.
Hit 1800 degrees and begin next act: Kiln goes up. Pieces are glowing red
(oohs and ahs). Participants are waiting in line, poised with tongs, and
anticipating Charlie's cue. Suddenly, CRASH, the pulley breaks and the
kiln goes down. In the blink of an eye (during shrieks from the audience)
Charlie catches the kiln which almost lands on top of him, keeps the pieces
from being bumped, and yells, "EVERYBODY, SAVE THE PIECES, they're OK! Go
Go Go!" And the dancers follow his lead: within seconds, pieces get nabbed,
flames go up, trashcans come down, beautiful pieces emerge. Bravo! Noone
even loses an arm hair (well, maybe Charlie?)
| |
|
