SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Gallery at the VAULT is excited to offer a Raku Pottery Workshop with Andrew Berends on two consecutive Saturdays – Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 from 1–5 p.m. each day.
Berends will be teaching the exciting Japanese firing technique known as Raku. Raku is a sixteenth century technique developed by Japan for making tea ceremony ware. It has been developed in this country to produce really interesting pottery. The firings take about an hour and you get a finished piece in the end. Raku is a really fun, exciting technique where pots are fired to 1840 degrees and pulled out of the hot kiln and manipulated with sawdust and water to change the look of the glazes. The glazes can be metallic with a crackle effect, making each piece truly unique and one-of-a-kind. We will also fire pots with an exciting new technique known as “horse hair” Raku, which creates really interesting designs on the clay. The Raku firings can be done indoors or outdoors depending on the weather.
The class will include wheel throwing and slab making as well as extruding instruction. The first day will include making all types of clay work and the second day will be glazing and firing all the pots in the Raku tradition. Emphasis will be on being creative and learning the basics of pottery, including the making, the work, the glazing, and the firing. The class is geared towards teens through adults and limited to five students.
There are separate costs for members and non-members, which includes 25 pounds of clay, glazes, and firing costs in a gas fired kiln. Register by Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Wear old clothing and bring pottery tools if you have them. Directions to Andrew’s studio in Springfield will be given at registration.
For more information please call Gallery at the VAULT, 68 Main Street, Springfield. Contact at 802-885-7111, galleryvault@vermontel.net, or visit the web page at www.galleryvault.org.