NIC PAYNE CERAMICS

Naked raku is a technique in which a barrier layer (resist slip) is applied to the pot before it is placed in the raku kiln, during the firing the barrier layer cracks as it is heated. When the kiln reaches temperature the pot is removed using tongues and placed into a metal container with combustibles such as paper and sawdust. The heat of the pot ignites the combustibles and a lid is placed on top to trap the smoke. During this stage the smoke penetrates through the cracks in the barrier layer and is absorbed into the clay surface of the pot, creating an intricate patterns of black lines, like that of mud baked in the hot sun.