Steve Sanders

For me, Raku is a way to express my creativity and imagination in the dance of the Raku pottery process. I always seek to create something new, unique, and beautiful. Raku is the most dynamic and exciting type of ceramics. The results are sensitive to subtle differences in the process and so can be a complicated firing technique to control. Subtle changes to the firing or glazing process produce varied and often unexpected results. Firing Raku is also the most intimate of firing processes. With traditional stoneware pottery, the pots go into a kiln and come out on a set schedule, hidden from a potter's view. Firing raku is different. As I observe the glowing pieces in the kiln, I actively manage the firing process. I gradually raise the heat and watch the glaze bubble, smooth, or react to achieve the goal I want to produce. Raku offers limitless possibilities, constant trials, plenty of failures, and unique, surprising, and beautiful results. And plenty of adrenaline, too. It is my Raku dance.

I produce a variety of vessel forms in each style, including some that are very unique. My goal is to provide you a ceramic artistic statemen, something that stands out and captures attention to share my joy. My pieces are not small. Clay is a canvas, and larger forms lend more potential for expression and beauty. The Raku forms I create in my studio, particularly my Emperor and Empress vessels, reflect my desire to offer you something distinctive and special. Forms like these are unique in the ceramic world, and I adorn many pieces with ornamental lids as statements of originality. Each is hand-crafted, time-consuming to make, and distinctive.

When you buy a piece of my Raku, I want you to have something extraordinary that will bring you…Raku!