Carefree Art Night Season’s Close Raku Ceramic Artist Alan Potter

Alan Potter doesn’t just like animals; he holds them in awe. That may be why he chooses to use the challenging medium of raku to create animal sculpture, instead of the more common pots. Raku artists put low-fired, molten-glazed pieces into canisters of sawdust which is ignited; the resulting vacuum creates some of the crackle, iridescence and mat finish so characteristic raku. Alan’s horses, donkeys, giraffes, cardinals, owls, and even Yetis holding balloons all bear his characteristic shapes and textures—and the fact that he has to maneuver pieces with tails and ears out of flaming containers just underlines his commitment to the (animal) form. Come chat with him about his work!