RAKU BEADS BY KEITH O'CONNOR
.jpg) Keith O’Connor, a Raku ceramic artist based out of New Hampshire, but with a well-known national reputation. With the assistance of his artisan wife Laurie, they handcraft, stamp, glaze and fire each Raku bead and pendant by hand.
Raku, is a 16th century Japanese pottery firing process that uses both fire and smoke to create unique patterns and designs. Raku is a Japanese word that can be translated as enjoyment, happiness, or comfort. In 1580, the potter Chijiro is thought to be the first to produce this form of ware. He developed a low-fire pottery process in which he placed pieces directly into a red-hot wood fired kiln, then once the glazes had melted, removing the pieces from the still red-hot kiln. He then either plunged the pieces into cool water or allowed the pottery to air cool outside of the kiln.
.jpg) Keith and Laurie hand form their beads and pendants from special clay that will withstand the shock of being rapidly heated and cooled without cracking or shattering. The pieces are then painted with two or three coats of special glaze, fired on rods and removed from the propane-fired kiln while red-hot. The hot pieces are then plunged into a container filled with crushed leaves or sawdust causing this material to burst into flames and create smoke. The lid of the container is immediately sealed, causing the fire to consume the oxygen in the container. As the fire consumes the oxygen it also draws the oxygen out of the pottery and its glaze. It is this post fire reduction stage that creates the unique look of Raku pottery.
.jpg) The combination of heating, cooling, smoke and the natural process of oxygen removal produces the unpredictable patterns and colors of the Raku process. Finally, the beads are cooled in a water bath and the soot is scrubbed off by hand.
Over the years Keith and Laurie have created beads, pendants, buttons, vessels, pots and even finished jewelry with their creations. From season to season Keith's colors are reflective of the natural world. Our recent favorites are those beads stamped with vintage Czech buttons. The impression left by the button is so detailed that the finished beads look fantastic even after glazing and firing.
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