On to Guelph, Canada!

On the last morning at the Guild, I was in for a surprise!  Scott Dillman, the potter/sculptor, suggested that we raku my clay pieces so I could transport them back home before heading out to Canada.  It was a fascinating process, done outdoors.  All my pieces survived the firing and I was able to box them up as a carry-on for the airplane flight.

Here is the outdoor kiln where raku firing is done.  You can see my pieces loaded on two levels:  blessing cups on the bottom shelf and a ceramic tray on the top.  The temperature must reach 1800 degrees and special raku glaze is used to get the unusual colors.

When the firing was done, Scott took each piece off the shelf very carefully with long metal tongs.  Each was placed in a garbage can filled with wood chips.  After the piece was in the garbage can, I threw more wood chips on to create a fire and then quickly put the lid on the can to trap the heat.

After about 5 minutes, Scott took each piece out of the garbage can, again with the tongs and plunged each into cold water.  This process stops the molten glass (glaze) and produces very cool designs and colors. It is impossible to predict exactly how the finished products will look!  This is what I loved about raku:  mystery.

How fun is this!?  Looking into the water at the colors on each piece... Scott and his mother, Denise, helped me with the raku firing.  It was one of the most exciting and satisfying art creations of my life.

This is what the tray looked like right after the water bath.

And this is what it looks like now after being scrubbed clean.

I made a rattle, too.  That was very fun!  You wrap little pieces of clay with newspaper or tissue and put them inside the closed form.  The paper will burn out in the firing process and will make a rattling noise when the piece is shaken.  You have to be sure to poke some small holes in the rattle so that the hot air can escape or it will explode in the firing process.

My rattle in the water bath.

And then after the scrubbing and cleaning!

Thanks to Scott and the rest of the Grunewald Guild crew:  (left to right)  Erica (weaving, office administration), Mike (woodworking), Diana (painter/sketching/printing and hospitality), Joe (older of the two Oberg children and a track maniac), Dan (director and musician), Sam (younger of the Oberg children who loves to ride his bike and do cool jumps) and Lois (gardener, keeper of the plants in the greenhouse and teacher/caretaker for many!)  If you can't see everyone in the picture, just put your cursor on the picture and click.  Magic.

From the Guild I went on to Yakima Valley and then over the Cascades to Centralia, WA to visit a friend I met at the Guild--Jan Nontell.  Thousands of pear trees were in brilliant white bloom.

Jan took me to the annual Arts Walk in Olympia, WA on Saturday.  Roughly 3,000 people of all ages and in all stages of life dress up as animals, plants, insects and fish.  This is to honor the four elements of the earth:  water, land (earth), air and sun.  The costumes were to be homemade using imagination and recycled materials.  It was awesome!

Check out the bumble bees on bikes and the giant flowers with butterflies.

One guy even came as a fly.

After my time with Jan in Olympia, I drove to Seattle and stayed with a good friend, Anne Beaufort and her husband, Guy.  We had time together in the city during both sun and rain.  Mid-week I flew home to see Bob, do laundry and repack for my 42 day silent retreat at the Ignatian Spirituality Centre in Guelph, Ontario Canada.   I'm not sure if I will have computer access during that time.  Stay tuned!
Peace and blessings,
Hannah