Artist Statement
Lynn Paccassi-Berry

These panels have evolved over a period of several years. I first started working in raku and they were very monotone and the goal was to see how many different results I could get with the same three glazes. Now it’s all about the color and using glaze to paint a picture whether I see something definite or whether it’s abstract. I have always leaned towards simple designs while letting variations in the glaze provide the visual interest.

The Process

I begin by hand rolling the panels out on a table covered with canvas and using approximately 12lbs of clay each. The rolling pin I use is 18" long and is used to make the marks in the clay after it’s rolled out. The marks provide visual interest on two levels. The first is to provide an uneven surface on the panel for the glaze to pool or break on and will provide a visual variance in the look of the glaze. The second is to provide a visual surprise to the keen observer, an image that is separate from the obvious images provided by the breaks in the clay or the color provided by the glaze.

After the clay has dried to a stage know as "bone dry" the panel is then broken in a controlled manner. Sometimes it will break right where I want it, other times it breaks where it wants and that’s usually due to a slight warping during the drying process. I then draw an image of the panel for future reference and load it into the kiln for the first firing known as the bisque firing.

Now the piece is ready for glazing. Deciding on how to glaze the piece is sometimes the hardest part. Do I see an image in the panel or is it purely abstract? Either way, after deciding, the glazing process begins with glazes made by my Glaze Technician (my hubby) and are brushed on. Glazing is always done the day before to allow the piece to dry completely. Now it’s time to raku!

A raku firing requires two and sometimes three people. My assistants Kim and Alison help me fire on a weekly basis. My raku kiln is an old Aim with three burners utilizing propane gas. After loading up the kiln with the glazed pieces of one panel and firing it up, it’s time to set up the cans. These cans are any metal container that’s the size you need in order to fit the pieces of panel into. The fancy technical term is "reduction chamber" but it can be any thing - a trash can, a cookie, cracker or coffee tin. The cans are then filled with shredded newspaper, but any dry, organic combustible material can be used such as leaves, grass, straw, sawdust etc. After the kiln has reached the correct temperature of 1758° F and after shutting off the gas, the lid is then lifted off the kiln. With glasses, a heavy jean jacket, welders sleeves and leather gloves that reach to my armpits, I pull the pieces out of the hot kiln with a pair of metal tongs and place them in the cans. The newspaper then catches fire and my assistant will place a lid on the can if a reduced oxygen atmosphere is desired which will produce the metallic effects. If an oxidation atmosphere is desired the lid is put on loosely or not at all which will produce the blues and greens. If a heavy crackle is desired on the pieces of panel with white glaze, they are pulled out of the kiln last, placed on a bed of soft kiln brick and then fanned to create a greater thermal shock effect and then placed into the can with extra newspaper thrown in on top. The carbon that is released from the burning material goes into the crackled glaze and creates the black net of crackle, which is one of the defining characteristics of raku. It’s so exciting to open the cans up after 10 or 15 minutes to see what surprises you’ll find.

After allowing the pieces to cool enough to handle without gloves, they are then washed to remove the soot and carbon that accumulates during the firing.

A couple of days after the raku firing, it’s time to reassemble the panel and epoxy it back together. Using masking tape, I secure the pieces together on the front side of the panel in their original order and then flip it over to the backside and begin to epoxy the pieces together. After the epoxy is dry, I then glue two finished 2"x 2"’s onto the back which then provides stability throughout the piece, provides a way to hang it and when it’s hung brings it away from the wall thus providing a little more dimension.

Now, all I have to do is name it… mmm…