raku and raku too

The ceramics class is so large this year we had to split the Raku firing into 2 events. Photos of each event below...

The first night, before Daylight Savings Time ended...

KJ, one of the lid lifters all scrubbed in and ready to go

Shunny looking like some kind of ceramics bandito. She volunteered to be the photographer for the first firing.

Jonny Cupcakes on the left, me in the middle, KJ on the right.

Putting the first few pots in the cans.

Adding one more to the can. That might be Erin, Lydia & Abby behind the cans.

Abby's lid stuck and it took 3 people to free it up.

And then it exploded! Just kidding. This was the "burping" of one of the cans.

Ashley "The Wisk" doing her victory dance

The second night, after Daylight Savings Time ended...

A scary bunch. Brandy, Tavern-E-A, Josie, ElizabethE & Anne

I gave them the safety talk and this was their response.

Waiting on the cones to fall. I lack patience. AnnieBob took this photo to compare the reflective surfaces of the kiln and my head.

Just as the second cone was falling, suiting up and making sure no skin was exposed.

Devin on the left and EllenBess on the right. They were the gatekeepers for this round.

Cracking the lid open.

Pulling the first pot.

Very warm.

Still pretty warm.

Making the white crackle crackle better.

This is the part everyone likes.

AnnieBob and Bethany photographed the second firing. No one was singed at all and everyone was anxious to see how their pots turned out. Everyone did their job well and I may have even been a little proud of them. Of course, I'll never tell them that.