Anyone with more than a passing interest at ceramics will know that it's an excellent path to the art of surrender and letting go - a sub branch of zen bhuddism [ but with lots of swearing]
My own particular 'path' is at the more torturous end [and thus providing more opportunities for letting go.], that is the noble way of raku firing. The randomness of the process, and the struggle to 'control' or manage this, is what appeals most, and provides I think, a wonderful reflecton of life; the struggle to create a sense of order in a chaotic universe. But I also love the fact its quick! [ ha- just like life again!] I fire in a home-made gas kiln, and have worked this way, intermittently, for some fifteen years now -or longer than I care to count. Typically, work is bisque-fired first, and then subjected to any number of raku firings -until I'm 'happy' with the outcome -or it blows up. Of course, there is a law that says frequently both of these things will happen simultaneously.
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