Melodie Grace - Franklin TN

I am fascinated by the ancient Japanese art of raku and enjoy exploring the random, risky nature of the firing process. By combining wheel thrown, hand carved, and etched elements with both traditional and naked raku, I create modern day artifacts that are one of a kind. My traditional raku pieces are hand carved. I glaze the rest of each piece with clear crackle glaze and leave the carvings exposed to absorb smoke during the firing. "Naked" pieces feature original motifs etched through a slip and glaze resist. During firing, smoke traps in the exposed etching and the glaze is removed as the final step. The finished pieces are adorned with only the smoked design on the naked clay. My endeavor is to honor and expand tradition by merging a new aesthetic with ancient techniques.