Bright Possibilities…
My specialty is Copper-flash Raku, an Americanized version of the traditional 16th Century Japanese firing process. In 1993 when I first began ceramics, I saw an article in “Ceramics Monthly” that led me to Ox-bow, a school of art and artists’ residency in Saugatuck, Michigan, associated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
There I met Wisconsin Ceramist John Wrenn, who had already made great progress creating vibrant colors from the very volatile Copper Flash Raku process. Over the years, John and I collaborated and together evolved our firing processes to reduce some of the inherent unpredictability of Copper Flash firing.
There are so many variables in achieving good color with Copper Flash, and I very much enjoy finding that “sweet spot” where I can maximize the beauty of the color with the figure which I have hand built. Achieving a repeatable palette with a very unpredictable process is for me one of life’s great adventures.
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