4 Day Raku Workshop Fall 2026

Raku Workshop 4 day workshop

3 Tuesday evenings: The first two are 9/15, 9/22 6:00-8:30 are days to make work, The third day  9/29 6:00-8:30 will be a glaze day.

Students participating in firing-only will chose a firing session for traditional glaze or horsehair firing. Students participating in the full workshop will come to an additional firing session on Saturday morning where they will participate in the Obvara firing technique.

Firing dates:

Friday 10/9 4pm-9pm (Traditional glaze and horsehair)

Saturday 10/10  10am-1pm (WORKSHOP STUDENTS ONLY Obvara firing session)

Saturday 10/10 1pm-4pm (Traditional glaze and horsehair)

Rain Date of Sun 11th 9am-8pm. Please watch weather we may need to change fire day!!!

Join us for the first of several alternative firing workshops offered by Liz N and Lila (Lee-Lah) at Cream City Clay! This workshop will cover traditional raku techniques as well as the 12th century firing technique of Obvara. Obvara is a process originating in Eastern Europe where glowing hot pottery is plunged into a fermented mixture of yeast, flour, sugar and water, creating unpredictable and dramatic patterns unlike those seen in traditional raku. Students will have the unique opportunity to learn to lead the process from start to finish. Students will be taught alternative firing safety and ultimately be able to extract their own red hot work from the kiln and plunge it in the fermented mixture. This workshop is part of an ongoing alternative firing series, so keep an eye out for future dates and additional firing methods!

What is Raku? Raku is an ancient Japanese method of firing simple pottery. Metallic or white crackle glazes are applied to bisque ware and then fired quickly to 1700 degrees F in an outdoor kiln. Participants wearing protective gear, open the red hot kiln and remove the glowing orange pottery with tongs and place it into shredded paper. After the paper ignites, the pottery is covered with a metal can to create a reduction atmosphere. This turns the metallic glazes amazing unpredictable colors, while turning the unglazed clay body a smoky black. Raku pottery is highly variable making it always unpredictable, surprising and one of a kind!

In this 4 day workshop you will:

1. First class you will receive up to 12 lbs of clay: We will instruct you how to properly create your pieces with the volatile raku process in mind. You will also have the following week to work independently to finish your pieces if needed. It will give you time to dry your work and have it bisque fired before the second class, or simply dried if using terra sigillata / burnishing. We will go over the history of raku and obvara while students work on test pieces to try out these processes.
2. Second class. Finish your your work from week one. Add terra sigilatta on the pottery intended for horse hair and burnish. Learn about the various ways to prep your surface for an Obvara firing. Examples of the do’s and don’ts of creating pottery for raku will be shown.
3. Third class. You will glaze your pottery using raku glazes. Use tape resist if you want. Go over the plan for firing day and how we will work together to fire. Today you will also learn how to seal your pieces post firing using wax products. We will do a dry run of the firing process to ready students to handle their own work on firing day
4. Fourth class. Fire pottery. Sign up for a day and shift. Come prepared and plan to participate in set up or take down. Plan to spend more time than expected.

Workshop is $189 and includes up to12 lbs of clay, choice of 3 types of metallic glazes, white crackle glaze, horse hair, terra sigillata, obvara materials and firing.

Class fee in non-refundable 13 days or less before class begins unless we can fill your spot. We will still fire your pottery if you are not able to attend the firing.

Special Notes:

• You must sign the waiver Sign and return Raku Waiver Click Here      Email Signed waiver to colleen@creamcityclay.com
• On the day of firing you must wear closed toed shoes, long cotton pants and sleeves, have hair tied back or covered in order to participate.
• *You will be asked to sign up  for a day  and a shift to fire and should plan to help set up or take down. Raku takes time, plan for it.
• We will reserve an alternative firing date if it is rainy or too windy. If we can start earlier or stay later on any of the listed days to finish we will do so please plan to be flexible and watch the weather.
• If signing up for the 12 lbs (clay only option) you must have previous raku experience, your own home studio to create work or be a current ccc member or student and have done raku before. Work needs to be ready to bisque by Sept 18th. After signing up you can pick up clay any time (Please identify you have paid for the clay only raku for raku firing)
• Sign and return participant waiver below detailing the rules and agreement. To participate this must be signed and returned as soon as possible.

Sign and return Raku Waiver Click Here      Email Signed waiver to colleen@creamcityclay.com