Raku Firing at RCS

Location: Raku firings will be hosted at our sister-studio With Deb Schwartzkopf

Rat City Studios
2410 SW 106th Street
Seattle, WA 98146

Saturdays:
May 18th, 9am-1pm (Register)
June 29th, 9am-1pm (Register)
July 8th, 9am-1pm (Register)
August 17th, 9am-1pm (Register)

Please read our refund policy before registering for an event.

BYOB - Bring your own Bisqueware!
Bring your pots that have already gone through the bisque kiln.

There is a limit of 4 small to medium-sized bisque vessels per person. (Small equals 4” or smaller/ Medium equals up to 7”/ larger than this counts for two pieces.)Early arrival is encouraged to ensure your pieces have the best chance to get fired! Additional pots can be fired if we are under-registered and there is extra space in the kiln. If you have additional pieces to fire, , they cost $10 each and you can pay online the day of the firing.

Usually these events are well attended. This event needs 5 participants minimum. Ticket holders will be notified and refunded 3 days prior to the event should we not meet the minimum number of participants.

Raku Workshop Participation:
We start glazing at 9:00am. The cut-off time to glaze is at 10am. Be sure to get here on time! After glazing, we will fire the kiln over and over until all the work is done! This will take several hours. Glazes for self-application are provided. Our knowledgeable staff will be facilitating and present to fire the kilns and answer questions. Come explore this unpredictable, smokey, exhilarating art form.

What is Raku?
The raku technique used at RCC will take glazed ceramics that are taken from the kiln while they are still glowing red hot. We will place them in metal containers with combustible materials such as sawdust or newspaper. A tight lid will be placed on the hot pot inside the container. This technique will help develop a myriad of colors within the glaze, crackle patterns, metallic surfaces, as well as a fun unpredictable experience glazing pots!

Are Raku pots food safe?
Raku glazes are never food safe because they are not durable glass and often have high metal content. Raku glazes are also rarely watertight. Some pieces that meet the glaze standards may still not really be safe for use because of hollows, pits or holes in the clay itself, under the glaze. Raku pots are for enjoying the process as well as the artwork on a fireplace mantel or as a showpiece.

Raku Firing
We will fill the kiln several times. This will take time. Be prepared to chill while this happens. Staff will fire kilns and pull pots from the kiln. If you help pull red hot pots from the kiln, you will need cotton clothing, hair ties, and a strong heat tolerance. The area will be smokey as we put pots in metal cans and reduce them with burning combustibles. This is an active environment where attention to heat, people, and processes is needed. It’s a blast!