Arranging An Art-Filled Home Is A Sweet Fit For Sculptor And Ikebana Practitioner
by Carolyn Comeau
“Steven Forbes-deSoule is a celebrated Raku sculptor — highly accomplished in the American form of the Japanese art, where the vessel is removed from the hot kiln and placed in combustible materials. His wife Lynn Powell Forbes, a retired Buncombe County Schools ESL specialist, is a master of the Japanese art of flower arrangement known as ikebana (she is president of the Asheville chapter of WNC Ikebana International).”
Raku pottery incorporates elements of knowledge, experience, excitement, unpredictability, and spontaneity, and is somewhat akin to a semi-controlled convergence of science, craft, art, and magic with a bit of chaos thrown in for good measure. Come see a colorful variety of Western-style work by a number of North Carolina's Raku potters from across the state and learn more about the making of Raku.
Raku pottery is an ancient Japanese art form that requires a meticulous process. But the final step is pure chance, and for Steven Forbes-deSoule, that’s the joy. “It’s like being a kid at Christmas,” he says.
Pieces are rapidly heated in a small kiln to the optimal temperature of 1900-2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Then they’re removed and placed in a metal can with newspaper. “The paper catches fire immediately, and, after a few seconds, a lid is placed on the can extinguishing the flames and creating an oxygen-starved environment,” the potter explains. This method produces a variety of effects on the piece, and it’s never the same look twice.
A note about Hectorite: It's a suspender in powder form similar to Bentonite except it doesn't have to be dry mixed with the other chemicals. It's not a common raku pottery glaze chemical and you may have to search for it on the web. I purchased mine at Highwater Clays, but they don't carry it anymore due to lack of demand (nobody knew what it was used for).
This is a stable blue and red glaze. 1/2% Epsom Salts can be substituted for Bentonite. This glaze produces some incredible raku pottery and is one that I developed several years ago. This picture is the results of the raku glaze fired to 1900F. It remains a staple in my studio. See more of my work by visiting my raku pottery store. To learn more about my process, visit my raku firing page.
I just completed firing 25 pieces for a new commission from Art and Associates in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be installed in the new DCCU headquarters in Atlanta. This bottle is one of the pieces which features my Space Rock glaze.
