Special to the Advance

The JDCC Art Club sponsored its third annual Raku Kiln Firing on Nov. 17.

Students, faculty, staff and community members watched pottery being created from the sculpting stage to the firing stage.

Raku Kiln Firing is a pottery technique with origins in Japan. This process includes taking pots, still glowing red from being fired in the kiln, and immediately placing them in containers filled with combustible materials, such as sawdust, leaves, newspaper, etc. The end result is a beautiful piece of pottery.

Carrie Johnson, JDCC art instructor and sponsor of the art club, conducted the firing exhibition with the assistance of Jim Gay, local community member and potter.

“It is no wonder that Raku is such a popular technique for pottery because what’s not to love about playing so directly with fire? I think everyone that participated enjoyed having a hands on roll in the making of their own unique piece of art,” Johnson said. “There is something magical about discovering the unexpected results that can occur when the glaze surface interacts with the smoke and fire.”

Several pieces of pottery were available for sale. Any community members who were not able to attend the firing exhibition and are interested in purchasing the pottery, can contact Johnson at 251-809-1617.