Ray West

Our studio is in the southern Sierra on a tract of private land in what is now the Giant Sequoia National Monument. I make one-of-a-kind thrown porcelain pieces with crystalline glaze and other similar high-fire fluid glazes, some matt, and some high gloss. These kinds of glazes involve many technical challenges and require an exacting application of glaze and firing schedule to be successful. I experiment with new glazes and application in every work cycle, which are fired in one of two kilns, the first a downdraft propane gas shuttle kiln of my own make and design, and the other a large computer controlled electric kiln. Actual visible mineral crystals are grown in the glaze during the firing, which reflect many properties of the natural world we see every day.