Rob Wheeler

Rob Wheeler studied at Ipswich School of Art and Brighton School of Art. Has exhibited widely in the UK and Europe in both mixed and one man shows. His work has its roots in nature. The forms and texture often taking their inspiration from fossils and sealife. Most of this work is produced in stoneware or rakued porcelain.

Raku

The raku pottery technique has its origins in Japan. Raku potters were producing ware expressly for the Japanese tea ceremonies.

Raku is a process where pots are taken from the kiln while they are still glowing red and placing them in combustible material such as sawdust, dried leaves, newspaper etc. This starves the pot of oxygen and creates a reduced atmosphere round the pots. This reduction of oxygen gives the glaze on the pots their huge variety of colour. Any areas not glazed are carbonised by the burning material turning the clay charcoal to black colour. During the extreme temperature change from the kiln to container of combustible material crazing of the glaze very often occurs enhancing the pots surface still further with the crazing being accentuated by the carbon deposits in the cracks. A final scrub of the pot when cool to clean the surface of any loose carbon reveals the finished piece.