FAQs

  • We are just getting our website built. We have completed the first stage of just getting it launched. Next step is to build the store and get all the supplies ready and a shipping area set up in our studio. Send us an email if you see something you like and we will work out the details to get it sent to you

  • Yes, we make it all ourselves. In our studio located in our house.

  • While all our pottery is made with lead free clay and glazes, they are safe to drink and eat from (except the raku piece) we recommend that you hand wash your pottery.

  • I wish there was some sorcery we could impart into all our pieces to make them shatter proof but there is no such thing. Accidents happen, we break our own pieces all the time. Please be careful because we can not refund your money if it breaks.

  • Maybe, depends what you want. Please reach out to us to discuss!

  • You can purchase our handmade pottery at local Fresno art events, or by contacting us directly about current collections. Send us an email if you see something you like and we will work out the details to get it sent to you

  • Our pottery studio is based in Fresno, California, where all of our pieces are designed and crafted by hand.

  • The Short anser: Raku pottery is removed from the kiln while red-hot and placed into combustible materials.

    Here’s a full description of how raku pottery is made, step by step:

    Raku pottery is a traditional Japanese firing technique, now embraced by contemporary ceramic artists worldwide, that produces unpredictable and dramatic surface effects. The process emphasizes spontaneity, natural forces, and the element of surprise.

    1. Forming the piece

      • The process begins like any other pottery: clay is shaped on the wheel or by hand-building. The forms are often simple, allowing the surface effects of raku firing to shine.

      • Once shaped, the piece is left to dry and is then bisque fired in a kiln at a low temperature, making it durable enough for handling during the raku process.

    2. Glazing

      • After the bisque firing, the potter applies raku glazes. These glazes often contain metallic oxides, which respond dramatically to the unique firing and reduction environment.

      • Some areas may be left unglazed to emphasize smoky, natural patterns that emerge later.

    3. Firing

      • The glazed piece is placed into a raku kiln (often a gas kiln), which is preheated.

      • Unlike conventional kiln firings that take many hours, raku firing is rapid. The kiln is brought up to around 1,800°F (982°C) in less than an hour.

      • Once the glazes have melted and the surface looks ready, the potter uses long metal tongs to remove the red-hot piece from the kiln.

    4. Reduction

      • Immediately after removal, the glowing pottery is placed into a container (often a metal can or pit) filled with combustible materials such as sawdust, straw, newspaper, or leaves.

      • The extreme heat ignites the materials, and the container is then covered. This creates a reduction atmosphere—a smoky, oxygen-starved environment that alters the chemical makeup of the glazes.

      • This is when the characteristic metallic lusters, crackle patterns, and smoky blacks of raku are formed.

    5. Cooling and cleaning

      • After a short period in reduction (usually 10–30 minutes), the piece is removed and left to cool in open air or quenched in water for additional crackle effects.

      • Once cooled, the surface is cleaned with water and scrubbed to reveal the brilliant colors, dramatic textures, and unique patterns that make raku pottery one-of-a-kind.

    ✨ Key Qualities of Raku Pottery

    • No two pieces are ever the same — the fire, smoke, and reduction process ensure uniqueness.

    • Surfaces may show iridescent metallics, smoky blacks, or bold crackle lines.

    • Raku is typically used for decorative rather than functional pieces, since the porous clay and rapid firing make it less durable for everyday food use.

    Would you like me to write this again in a poetic, gallery-style tone (something you could use for your BBCCPottery website), or keep it informative and step-by-step like this version?

  • Studio pottery is handmade ceramic work created in small studios by individual artists, often with an emphasis on craftsmanship, design, and limited production.

  • We began working with clay during the pandemic, transforming a former leather studio into our pottery workspace in Fresno.

  • Good question!