Marshalltown, IA
2023 Booth #82
I create wheel thrown and hand built pottery that are functional stoneware or Raku fired ceramics. The functional pottery is made with stoneware clay. My Raku pieces are either traditional American Raku and Horse Hair Raku. The Raku pieces are made from a white Raku clay that after being fired once is then glazed and refired then at 1800 degrees removed from the kiln place in barrels full of leaves. Once the leaves are on fire, lids are placed on the can smothering the fire burning up the air in the can creating coppers and other colors on the surface of the pots.
The horse hair pots are made from a mix of porcelain and Raku clay. After being fired once the pieces are fired again to 1400 degrees, at that point they are removed hot from the kiln. The hair from the horses tail is laid on the pots. The hair burns on the hot pottery creating a black design of lines on the surface of the pot.
© Kirk Niehouse