4. Inside the bisque kiln with a shelf of 12” squares
after being bisque fired.
5. Handmade “fingers” for spacing my tiles in the
bisque kiln, front to back, or top to bottom.
6. Raku firing is a fast heat-up to 2000º to melt the
glass of the glaze. After a just 20 minutes, this
load is ready to take out.
7. I need to dress for safety in 100% cotton! I pull down the counter
weight to lift the kiln, where the expanded steel tray of wares is hot
and ready! Behind me, the “pit”, where I will put the tray.
8. I “invented” the expanded steel tray for my wares and the
blacksmith’s hooks to lift it out of the kiln.
The lifted kiln keeps its heat inside.
13. My beloved fire, as I sprinkle burn-
ables on top of the hot tray of wares.
14. Quickly I cover the flames with a lid, under which, Raku magic happens!
Burning molecules eat up the available oxygen in the air around, as well
as inside the glaze formula. This leaves behind incredible metallic
lusters, matte textures, and special glaze effects such as a crackle or a
massive, colorful build-up with a defining crisp black line.
15. Several glaze colors can be “touched up”, or
“enlivened” with a propane burner torch upon firing.
16. My “On the Road” Firing set up: a Bar-B-Q Raku kiln and Coca-Cola cooler pit!
29. Raku lusters are sometimes not desired as much as drawing skills,
as seen in this window box display.
I am actually better trained in graphic art and scientific illustration, than in clay.
This image was taken from Limoges china pattern.
30. Often pieces are made free-form, or put together out of several miscellaneous pieces.
31. It’s difficult keeping all the pieces
intact while going through all the
various processes of making, firing
and glazing.
Besides making commissioned art,
I did art fairs in Boston, NYC,
Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and a
couple American Craft Trade Shows,
that simply required production
pieces.
Here is my glazing table with parts
of the “Blue Samurai” on the left,
and “Corporate Clown” on the right,
undergoing the glaze process.
32. This piece sat on my table for two
years before finding the time to
complete him!
34. I generally make several different pieces to choose from.
Raku is actually scientific in its methods, however, it can be totally
unpredictable as well. Raku means to me, a happy accident.
35. Part of a mural of a view of giant
three-story rocks at sea, in beautiful
Mendocino, CA
The rocks are a tactile matte surface
with lustrous over glazing and beaded
water patterns.
This piece: 4’H x 2’W
Final mural was 4’H x 8’W
2001
36.
37. Occasionally we get free publicity.
This was a front cover story about a
magnificent home inside of which
my piece was featured.
This is an interpretation of
Utagawa Hiroshige’s
“57 Views of the Tokaido,
#46 The Kamayama”
4’H x 8’W
2000
The Tree House, Killington, VT,
Architect David Sellers.
42. This long piece features a crane’s head reaching from behind the long grasses… up and
over the lily pads to get to the Koi swimming beneath them.
Lily pads lie on top of koi, individual leaves sit atop each other, 3D blossoms sit on top
of lily pads, and lusters, lusters everywhere.
43. A kitchen backsplash for
Charles and Ina Stentiford,
a publishing executive
of Long Island, NY.
2000
44. I do love making animals, birds, snakes,
butterflies and bugs… anything living…
and especially endangered!
Tiger
40”H x 24”W
2005
Please forgive this photo, he sold while
laying on the ground, his bubble wrap
protecting him, before I even had him
displayed!
Please stay tuned. I’m making animals with
humans, together, next. I feel this is the
most important relationship us humans will
ever have!
45.
46. Me and Ms. Alma Gilbert-Smith,
world’s authority on Maxfield Parrish,
installed in Mr. Parrish’s old home, Cornish, NH.
Geisha, 4’H x 5’W, 2006
56. Installing individual
State Department
tiles by each doorway to
office and into a main
mural.
State Office Building
Springfield, VT
Individual Tiles 18” Square
60” Square Mural
1997
57. Doing art fairs since 1971, all over the country, starting with pins and ornaments and then
growing well beyond.
58. With Annabelle & Robert Williams,
Killington Architect, at the Brick Box in Rutland, VT.
61. Some pieces need animals to
communicate the urgency of the
message. This clown sits atop a huge yin
yang, crushing the globe beneath. His tie
is all sad ‘smiley’ faces and his pup is
crying with him.
“We’re
Crushing
Mother Earth”
40”H x 30” W
2007
62. I selected Japanese designs not only
because of their magnificent fabric
patterns, but because I’ve learned
I was in Japan for two past lives…. as a
Geisha and a Geisha Samurai.
This piece plus the next piece were
featured in “Tiles of the 21st Century”
exhibition in Minneapolis, 2004.
“First Geisha”
1997 48”H x 30” W
66. Don Reitz was my college clay Professor… but he did 68 workshops every
year! I met and married his Graduate student, William D. Warehall.
Through 10 years of Bill’s, Joe Bova’s and Natalie Blake’s teachings; plus
workshops, with Paul Soldner, Bob Green, Michael Shiba, Robert
Compton and others in Raku firing; plus lots of hard work; I’ve been able
to dedicate my drawing life to Raku.
Being a lifelong drawing artist, I admit, I have never thrown a pot.
67. It was Warren Mackenzie, with whom my husband taught for 3 years,
who shared with me his spiritual genius in surviving as an artist
with a kind of Zen Grace, though I never took a class from him!
68. Classes I taught and learned so much from in return! My favorite in-house class.
69. One good class leads to another… this one in Na’a Lahu, Hawaii! What fun we had!
70. Thank you for joining my journey: living a drawing life through clay…
the most challenging medium to draw in!
Christine Merriman, the MerryWoman of Raku
