http://www.1000markets.com/users/3472 Dramatic Pitfire, Horsehair and Raku Ceramic Creations en-us 1000 Markets, Inc. 15 Shop: <a href="http://www.1000markets.com/users/3472">robdrexel</a> http://www.1000markets.com/users/3472 Visit the Shop http://www.1000markets.com/products/43162 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0192/9688/CIMG9093_display.jpg?20091126214854" /><br /><p>approximately 8" x 5", mirror 2.5" &nbsp;</p><p>Our sweet little decor mirrors are hand cut from slabs of rolled clay. They are cleaned, imprinted, designed, and then fired. After that, further designs and a final finish are applied. We use many surface finishing techniques and are creating new ones all the time. &nbsp;</p><p>Our little accent mirrors are PERFECT for hallways, bathrooms, kids rooms, kitchens, breakfast nooks, entries, living rooms, dining rooms - you name it, these little mirrors give a great little splash of color, design and reflection anywhere. &nbsp;</p><p>The mirrors with empty cutouts can be easily fitted with your loved one's little picture or a design (cloth, paper etc.) of your own choosing. All mirrors are ready to hang. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my RAKU and PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$18.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/43162 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:26:31 -0700 43162 "Arts & Entertainment > Crafts & Hobbies > Pottery > Decor" , "Arts & Entertainment > Crafts & Hobbies > Ceramics > Decor" new 18.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0192/9688/CIMG9093_display.jpg?20091126214854 US 8.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/43161 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0192/9698/CIMG9094_display.jpg?20091126214855" /><br /><p>approximately 10" x 7", mirror 2.5" &nbsp;</p><p>Our sweet little decor mirrors are hand cut from slabs of rolled clay. They are cleaned, imprinted, designed, and then fired. After that, further designs and a final finish are applied. We use many surface finishing techniques and are creating new ones all the time. &nbsp;</p><p>Our little accent mirrors are PERFECT for hallways, bathrooms, kids rooms, kitchens, breakfast nooks, entries, living rooms, dining rooms - you name it, these little mirrors give a great little splash of color, design and reflection anywhere. &nbsp;</p><p>The mirrors with empty cutouts can be easily fitted with your loved one's little picture or a design (cloth, paper etc.) of your own choosing. All mirrors are ready to hang. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my RAKU and PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$18.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/43161 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:24:26 -0700 43161 "Furniture > Mirrors" new 18.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0192/9698/CIMG9094_display.jpg?20091126214855 US 8.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/43160 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0192/9678/CIMG9092_display.jpg?20091126214852" /><br /><p>approximately 9" x 5", mirror 2.5" &nbsp;</p><p>Our sweet little decor mirrors are hand cut from slabs of rolled clay. They are cleaned, imprinted, designed, and then fired. After that, further designs and a final finish are applied. We use many surface finishing techniques and are creating new ones all the time. &nbsp;</p><p>Our little accent mirrors are PERFECT for hallways, bathrooms, kids rooms, kitchens, breakfast nooks, entries, living rooms, dining rooms - you name it, these little mirrors give a great little splash of color, design and reflection anywhere. &nbsp;</p><p>The mirrors with empty cutouts can be easily fitted with your loved one's little picture or a design (cloth, paper etc.) of your own choosing. All mirrors are ready to hang. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my RAKU and PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$18.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/43160 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:22:38 -0700 43160 "Arts & Entertainment > Crafts & Hobbies > Pottery > Decor" , "Arts & Entertainment > Crafts & Hobbies > Ceramics > Decor" new 18.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0192/9678/CIMG9092_display.jpg?20091126214852 US 8.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/43159 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0192/9668/CIMG9091_display.jpg?20091126214850" /><br /><p>approximately 7" x 7", mirror 2.5" &nbsp;</p><p>Our sweet little decor mirrors are hand cut from slabs of rolled clay. They are cleaned, imprinted, designed, and then fired. After that, further designs and a final finish are applied. We use many surface finishing techniques and are creating new ones all the time. &nbsp;</p><p>Our little accent mirrors are PERFECT for hallways, bathrooms, kids rooms, kitchens, breakfast nooks, entries, living rooms, dining rooms - you name it, these little mirrors give a great little splash of color, design and reflection anywhere. &nbsp;</p><p>The mirrors with empty cutouts can be easily fitted with your loved one's little picture or a design (cloth, paper etc.) of your own choosing. All mirrors are ready to hang. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my RAKU and PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$18.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/43159 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:20:30 -0700 43159 "Arts & Entertainment > Crafts & Hobbies > Pottery > Decor" , "Arts & Entertainment > Crafts & Hobbies > Ceramics > Decor" new 18.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0192/9668/CIMG9091_display.jpg?20091126214850 US 8.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/38880 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0175/0784/CIMG8839_display.jpg?20091126184112" /><br /><p>approximately 13" x 18", mirror 7.5" &nbsp;</p><p>(***Please note that mirrors are notoriously difficult to take pictures of - these pieces have the reflective image 'shopped out) &nbsp;</p><p>Our decor mirrors are hand cut from slabs of rolled clay. They are cleaned, imprinted, designed, and then fired. After that, further designs and a final finish are applied. We use many surface finishing techniques and are creating new ones all the time. &nbsp;</p><p>Our little accent mirrors are PERFECT for hallways, bathrooms, kids rooms, kitchens, breakfast nooks, entries, living rooms, dining rooms - you name it, these little mirrors give a great little splash of color, design and reflection anywhere. &nbsp;</p><p>The mirrors with empty cutouts can be easily fitted with your loved one's little picture or a design (cloth, paper etc.) of your own choosing. All mirrors are ready to hang. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my RAKU and PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. Galleries sell my work starting between $40 and $50 for the small pieces and ranging up to $2000 for the large "masterworks". &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$95.00 http://www.1000markets.com/products/38880 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:53:08 -0700 38880 "Home & Garden > Decor > Wall Decor" new 95.00 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0175/0784/CIMG8839_display.jpg?20091126184112 US 16.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/38878 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0175/0774/CIMG8837_display.jpg?20091126184109" /><br /><p>approximately 12" x 16", mirror 5.75" &nbsp;</p><p>(***Please note that mirrors are notoriously difficult to take pictures of - these pieces have the reflective image 'shopped out) &nbsp;</p><p>Our decor mirrors are hand cut from slabs of rolled clay. They are cleaned, imprinted, designed, and then fired. After that, further designs and a final finish are applied. We use many surface finishing techniques and are creating new ones all the time. &nbsp;</p><p>Our little accent mirrors are PERFECT for hallways, bathrooms, kids rooms, kitchens, breakfast nooks, entries, living rooms, dining rooms - you name it, these little mirrors give a great little splash of color, design and reflection anywhere. &nbsp;</p><p>The mirrors with empty cutouts can be easily fitted with your loved one's little picture or a design (cloth, paper etc.) of your own choosing. All mirrors are ready to hang. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my RAKU and PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. I still appreciate my quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of my sales (and survival ...) efforts. Galleries sell my work starting between $40 and $50 for the small pieces and ranging up to $2000 for the large "masterworks". &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$85.00 http://www.1000markets.com/products/38878 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:50:09 -0700 38878 "Health & Beauty > Personal Care > Cosmetics > Cosmetic Tools > Makeup Tools > Makeup Mirrors" new 85.00 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0175/0774/CIMG8837_display.jpg?20091126184109 US 16.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/38874 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0175/0584/CIMG8835_display.jpg?20091126184046" /><br /><p>approximately 8" x 7", mirror 2.5" &nbsp;</p><p>Our sweet little decor mirrors are hand cut from slabs of rolled clay. They are cleaned, imprinted, designed, and then fired. After that, further designs and a final finish are applied. We use many surface finishing techniques and are creating new ones all the time. &nbsp;</p><p>Our little accent mirrors are PERFECT for hallways, bathrooms, kids rooms, kitchens, breakfast nooks, entries, living rooms, dining rooms - you name it, these little mirrors give a great little splash of color, design and reflection anywhere. &nbsp;</p><p>The mirrors with empty cutouts can be easily fitted with your loved one's little picture or a design (cloth, paper etc.) of your own choosing. All mirrors are ready to hang. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my RAKU and PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$18.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/38874 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:42:13 -0700 38874 "Home & Garden > Decor > Wall Decor" new 18.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0175/0584/CIMG8835_display.jpg?20091126184046 US 8.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/38872 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0175/0574/CIMG8834_display.jpg?20091126184045" /><br /><p>approximately 5" x 6", mirror 2.5" &nbsp;</p><p>Our sweet little decor mirrors are hand cut from slabs of rolled clay. They are cleaned, imprinted, designed, and then fired. After that, further designs and a final finish are applied. We use many surface finishing techniques and are creating new ones all the time. &nbsp;</p><p>Our little accent mirrors are PERFECT for hallways, bathrooms, kids rooms, kitchens, breakfast nooks, entries, living rooms, dining rooms - you name it, these little mirrors give a great little splash of color, design and reflection anywhere. &nbsp;</p><p>The mirrors with empty cutouts can be easily fitted with your loved one's little picture or a design (cloth, paper etc.) of your own choosing. All mirrors are ready to hang. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my RAKU and PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$18.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/38872 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:40:35 -0700 38872 "Home & Garden > Decor > Wall Decor" new 18.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0175/0574/CIMG8834_display.jpg?20091126184045 US 8.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/35032 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0127/FEB20_09-3_display.jpg?20091126021616" /><br /><p>AN ETHEREAL, WARMLY COLORED ARTISTIC ANGELIC PRESENCE FOR YOUR WALL TO GENTLY GUARD YOU SPACE. &nbsp;</p><p>This is a angel wall sculpture by artist Nikola Kael, created from a slip mold made from one of her original angel sculptures. It is an Angel of Compassion. Burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design, it has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning and strung for wall mounting. The dimensions are about 8” tall by 6" wide. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! After creating a mold from the original sculpted dolphin or angel, the resulting slip-cast pieces are fired in the pit where every one gains a totally unique pattern and palette of colors from the next. &nbsp;</p><p>NO two pieces are anywhere near alike! &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL AND NIKOLA KAEL &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola Kael has found her passion in expressing her love for dolphins and angels in her sculptures, she feels that she gets “visions from the sky” and uses “materials and techniques from the earth”. Born in Switzerland, she has grown up in a world quite different from the impressive high desert of New Mexico where she now lives. Being in this vast and sacred landscape that is in many parts hardly touched by human existence, it was easy for her to find what she wanted to express as an artist. &nbsp;</p><p>Her partner Rob has produced and successfully sold his PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. He still appreciates his quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of our sales (and survival ...) efforts. &nbsp;</p><p>The clay - with its flexibility and earthiness - is the perfect medium for Nikola's visions. The PITFIRE process gives her sculptures their final finish and the connection to the earth. &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola and Rob have recently moved/returned to the US from living in Europe and have settled in the high desert of New Mexico, where they have just self-built their mostly-green solar home. More information about Rob Drexel and his work and Nikola Kael can be found at: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time.</p><br />$28.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/35032 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:27:41 -0800 35032 new 28.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0127/FEB20_09-3_display.jpg?20091126021616 US 12.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/35030 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/1190/FEB20_09-83_display.jpg?20091126083938" /><br /><p>AN ETHEREAL, WARMLY COLORED ARTISTIC ANGELIC PRESENCE FOR YOUR WALL TO GENTLY GUARD YOU SPACE. &nbsp;</p><p>This is a angel wall sculpture by artist Nikola Kael, created from a slip mold made from one of her original angel sculptures. It is an Angel of Compassion. Burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design, it has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning and is mounted in a slice of desert cedar or pinion. The dimensions are about 10” tall by 6" wide. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! After creating a mold from the original sculpted dolphin or angel, the resulting slip-cast pieces are fired in the pit where every one gains a totally unique pattern and palette of colors from the next. &nbsp;</p><p>NO two pieces are anywhere near alike! &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL AND NIKOLA KAEL &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola Kael has found her passion in expressing her love for dolphins and angels in her sculptures, she feels that she gets “visions from the sky” and uses “materials and techniques from the earth”. Born in Switzerland, she has grown up in a world quite different from the impressive high desert of New Mexico where she now lives. Being in this vast and sacred landscape that is in many parts hardly touched by human existence, it was easy for her to find what she wanted to express as an artist. &nbsp;</p><p>Her partner Rob has produced and successfully sold his PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. He still appreciates his quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of our sales (and survival ...) efforts. &nbsp;</p><p>The clay - with its flexibility and earthiness - is the perfect medium for Nikola's visions. The PITFIRE process gives her sculptures their final finish and the connection to the earth. &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola and Rob have recently moved/returned to the US from living in Europe and have settled in the high desert of New Mexico, where they have just self-built their mostly-green solar home. More information about Rob Drexel and his work and Nikola Kael can be found at: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time.</p><br />$34.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/35030 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:25:07 -0800 35030 new 34.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/1190/FEB20_09-83_display.jpg?20091126083938 US 13.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/35027 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/1080/FEB20_09-73_display.jpg?20091126083921" /><br /><p>DELIGHTFUL, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTIC RENDERING OF THE BEAUTIFUL, PLAYFUL DOLPHIN FROM HIGH DESERT DOLPHINS, PITFIRED FOR COLOR AND PATTERN. &nbsp;</p><p>This is the smaller of 2 dolphin sculptures by artist Nikola Kael, created from a slip mold made from one of her original dolphin sculptures. Burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color. Finally it has been 3rd raku-like horsehair fired. It has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning. The sculpture comes mounted on a base made of high desert wood - either mesquite, cedar or pinion. The overall dimensions are approximately (each piece varies slightly) 9" tall and 9" long. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! After creating a mold from the original sculpted dolphin or angel, the resulting slip-cast pieces are fired in the pit where every one gains a totally unique pattern and palette of colors from the next. NO two pieces are anywhere near alike! &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL AND NIKOLA KAEL &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola Kael has found her passion in expressing her love for dolphins and angels in her sculptures, she feels that she gets “visions from the sky” and uses “materials and techniques from the earth”. Born in Switzerland, she has grown up in a world quite different from the impressive high desert of New Mexico where she now lives. Being in this vast and sacred landscape that is in many parts hardly touched by human existence, it was easy for her to find what she wanted to express as an artist. &nbsp;</p><p>Her partner Rob has produced and successfully sold his PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. &nbsp;</p><p>The clay - with its flexibility and earthiness - is the perfect medium for Nikola's visions. The PITFIRE process gives her sculptures their final finish and the connection to the earth. &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola and Rob have recently moved/returned to the US from living in Europe and have settled in the high desert of New Mexico, where they have just self-built their mostly-green solar home. More information about Rob Drexel and his work and Nikola Kael can be found at: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results.</p><br />$29.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/35027 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:22:11 -0800 35027 new 29.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/1080/FEB20_09-73_display.jpg?20091126083921 US 13.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/35024 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/1124/FEB20_09-77_display.jpg?20091126071645" /><br /><p>AN ETHEREAL, WARMLY COLORED ARTISTIC ANGELIC PRESENCE TO GENTLY GUARD YOU SPACE. This Angel is mounted on a natural cedar stand - about 12" high. &nbsp;</p><p>This is a angel of joy by artist Nikola Kael, created from a slip mold made from one of her original angel sculptures. It is an Angel of Compassion. Burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design, it has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning . The dimensions are about 11” tall by 6" wide. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! After creating a mold from the original sculpted dolphin or angel, the resulting slip-cast pieces are fired in the pit where every one gains a totally unique pattern and palette of colors from the next. &nbsp;</p><p>NO two pieces are anywhere near alike! &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL AND NIKOLA KAEL &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola Kael has found her passion in expressing her love for dolphins and angels in her sculptures, she feels that she gets “visions from the sky” and uses “materials and techniques from the earth”. Born in Switzerland, she has grown up in a world quite different from the impressive high desert of New Mexico where she now lives. Being in this vast and sacred landscape that is in many parts hardly touched by human existence, it was easy for her to find what she wanted to express as an artist. &nbsp;</p><p>Her partner Rob has produced and successfully sold his PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. He still appreciates his quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of our sales (and survival ...) efforts. &nbsp;</p><p>The clay - with its flexibility and earthiness - is the perfect medium for Nikola's visions. The PITFIRE process gives her sculptures their final finish and the connection to the earth. &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola and Rob have recently moved/returned to the US from living in Europe and have settled in the high desert of New Mexico, where they have just self-built their mostly-green solar home. More information about Rob Drexel and his work and Nikola Kael can be found at: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time.</p><br />$36.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/35024 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:18:57 -0800 35024 new 36.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/1124/FEB20_09-77_display.jpg?20091126071645 US 13.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33422 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0211/FEB20_09-10_display.jpg?20091126084330" /><br /><p>This is a angel of joy by artist Nikola Kael, created from a slip mold made from one of her original angel sculptures. It is an Angel of Compassion. Burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design, it has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning . The dimensions are about 11” tall by 6" wide. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! After creating a mold from the original sculpted dolphin or angel, the resulting slip-cast pieces are fired in the pit where every one gains a totally unique pattern and palette of colors from the next. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL AND NIKOLA KAEL &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola Kael has found her passion in expressing her love for dolphins and angels in her sculptures, she feels that she gets “visions from the sky” and uses “materials and techniques from the earth”. Born in Switzerland, she has grown up in a world quite different from the impressive high desert of New Mexico where she now lives. Being in this vast and sacred landscape that is in many parts hardly touched by human existence, it was easy for her to find what she wanted to express as an artist. &nbsp;</p><p>Her partner Rob has produced and successfully sold his PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. He still appreciates his quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of our sales (and survival ...) efforts. &nbsp;</p><p>The clay - with its flexibility and earthiness - is the perfect medium for Nikola's visions. The PITFIRE process gives her sculptures their final finish and the connection to the earth. &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola and Rob have recently moved/returned to the US from living in Europe and have settled in the high desert of New Mexico, where they have just self-built their mostly-green solar home. More information about Rob Drexel and his work and Nikola Kael can be found at: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time.</p><br />$32.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33422 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:28:38 -0800 33422 "Arts & Entertainment > Crafts & Hobbies > Mystical and Arcane" new 32.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0211/FEB20_09-10_display.jpg?20091126084330 US 13.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33420 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0343/FEB20_09-22_display.jpg?20091126022122" /><br /><p>DELIGHTFUL, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTIC RENDERING OF THE BEAUTIFUL, PLAYFUL DOLPHIN FROM HIGH DESERT DOLPHINS, PITFIRED FOR COLOR AND PATTERN. &nbsp;</p><p>This is a dolphin sculpture by artist Nikola Kael, created from a slip mold made from one of her original dolphin sculptures. Burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color. Finally it has been 3rd raku-like horsehair fired. It has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning. The sculpture comes mounted on a base made of high desert wood - either mesquite, cedar or pinion. The overall dimensions are approximately (each piece varies slightly) 9” to 12" tall and 12" long. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! After creating a mold from the original sculpted dolphin or angel, the resulting slip-cast pieces are fired in the pit where every one gains a totally unique pattern and palette of colors from the next. NO two pieces are anywhere near alike! &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL AND NIKOLA KAEL &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola Kael has found her passion in expressing her love for dolphins and angels in her sculptures, she feels that she gets “visions from the sky” and uses “materials and techniques from the earth”. Born in Switzerland, she has grown up in a world quite different from the impressive high desert of New Mexico where she now lives. Being in this vast and sacred landscape that is in many parts hardly touched by human existence, it was easy for her to find what she wanted to express as an artist. &nbsp;</p><p>Her partner Rob has produced and successfully sold his PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. &nbsp;</p><p>The clay - with its flexibility and earthiness - is the perfect medium for Nikola's visions. The PITFIRE process gives her sculptures their final finish and the connection to the earth. &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola and Rob have recently moved/returned to the US from living in Europe and have settled in the high desert of New Mexico, where they have just self-built their mostly-green solar home. More information about Rob Drexel and his work and Nikola Kael can be found at: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results.</p><br />$36.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33420 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:23:02 -0800 33420 new 36.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0343/FEB20_09-22_display.jpg?20091126022122 US 15.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33415 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0087/FEB20_09_display.jpg?20091126010556" /><br /><p>A PLAYFUL ANGELIC INTERPRETATION! COY SMILE AND WARM COLORS FROM THE PITFIRE! &nbsp;</p><p>This is a angel wall sculpture by artist Nikola Kael, created from a slip mold made from one of her original angel sculptures. It is an Angel of the Sun. Burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design, it has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning. The sculpture is stringed in the back for easy hanging on a nail or similar, it is very light. The dimensions are about 12” in diameter. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! After creating a mold from the original sculpted dolphin or angel, the resulting slip-cast pieces are fired in the pit where every one gains a totally unique pattern and palette of colors from the next. &nbsp;</p><p>NO two pieces are anywhere near alike! &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL AND NIKOLA KAEL &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola Kael has found her passion in expressing her love for dolphins and angels in her sculptures, she feels that she gets “visions from the sky” and uses “materials and techniques from the earth”. Born in Switzerland, she has grown up in a world quite different from the impressive high desert of New Mexico where she now lives. Being in this vast and sacred landscape that is in many parts hardly touched by human existence, it was easy for her to find what she wanted to express as an artist. &nbsp;</p><p>Her partner Rob has produced and successfully sold his PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. He still appreciates his quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of our sales (and survival ...) efforts. &nbsp;</p><p>The clay - with its flexibility and earthiness - is the perfect medium for Nikola's visions. The PITFIRE process gives her sculptures their final finish and the connection to the earth. &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola and Rob have recently moved/returned to the US from living in Europe, they are soon to be parents and have settled in the high desert of New Mexico, where they have just self-built their mostly-green solar home. More information about Rob Drexel and his work and Nikola Kael can be found at: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time.</p><br />$32.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33415 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:16:15 -0800 33415 new 32.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0087/FEB20_09_display.jpg?20091126010556 US 13.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33412 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0167/FEB20_09-6_display.jpg?20091126010606" /><br /><p>AN ETHEREAL, WARMLY COLORED ARTISTIC ANGELIC PRESENCE FOR YOUR WALL TO GENTLY GUARD YOU SPACE. &nbsp;</p><p>This is a angel wall sculpture by artist Nikola Kael, created from a slip mold made from one of her original angel sculptures. It is an Angel of Compassion. Burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design, it has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning and strung for wall mounting. The dimensions are about 8” tall by 6" wide. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! After creating a mold from the original sculpted dolphin or angel, the resulting slip-cast pieces are fired in the pit where every one gains a totally unique pattern and palette of colors from the next. &nbsp;</p><p>NO two pieces are anywhere near alike! &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL AND NIKOLA KAEL &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola Kael has found her passion in expressing her love for dolphins and angels in her sculptures, she feels that she gets “visions from the sky” and uses “materials and techniques from the earth”. Born in Switzerland, she has grown up in a world quite different from the impressive high desert of New Mexico where she now lives. Being in this vast and sacred landscape that is in many parts hardly touched by human existence, it was easy for her to find what she wanted to express as an artist. &nbsp;</p><p>Her partner Rob has produced and successfully sold his PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. He still appreciates his quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of our sales (and survival ...) efforts. &nbsp;</p><p>The clay - with its flexibility and earthiness - is the perfect medium for Nikola's visions. The PITFIRE process gives her sculptures their final finish and the connection to the earth. &nbsp;</p><p>Nikola and Rob have recently moved/returned to the US from living in Europe and have settled in the high desert of New Mexico, where they have just self-built their mostly-green solar home. More information about Rob Drexel and his work and Nikola Kael can be found at: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p> &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time.</p><br />$28.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33412 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:11:08 -0800 33412 new 28.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0167/FEB20_09-6_display.jpg?20091126010606 US 12.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33377 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0585/FEB20_09-43_display.jpg?20091126084724" /><br /><p>A COPPER LEAF COLLAR LIP ACCENTS THIS VERY YELLOW/GOLD WITH RED FLASHES PIECE, WARM ROUND FORM - A GREAT DECOR ACCENT! &nbsp;</p><p>This is a wheel-thrown stoneware clay vase/pot form, burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design. It has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning. It is - like all modern PITFIRE - decorative and is not suitable for functional or liquid use (use a glass liner). It is about 6" in height and 8" in diameter. This piece is gallery priced between $88 and $110, depending on the gallery location. PLEASE NOTE that my information about "gallery pricing" is not some ridiculously inflated pie-in-the-sky value, but is drawn from my 17 years selling similar work in high-end craft galleries and shops. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. I still appreciate my quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of my sales (and survival ...) efforts. Galleries sell my work starting between $40 and $50 for the small pieces and ranging up to $2000 for the large "masterworks". &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p>I strive to throw cool, interesting shapes - I like elegant forms, a smaller foot, sinuous lines and a feeling of volume for the vessels. Then, I take this humble ancient PITFIRE path and "push the heck out of it" - that is, for color and effect. My pitfire colors (specifically the golden yellows and oranges) are seldom matched. &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$58.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33377 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:27:00 -0800 33377 "Arts & Entertainment > Crafts & Hobbies > Pottery > Decor" , "Arts & Entertainment > Crafts & Hobbies > Ceramics > Decor" new 58.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0585/FEB20_09-43_display.jpg?20091126084724 US 0.0 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33371 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0475/FEB20_09-33_display.jpg?20091126084710" /><br /><p>FROM MY FEB 09 REALLY REALLY RICH PITFIRE! A DENSELY EARTH TONE CONTEMPORARY BOWL FORM - I JUST *** LOVE IT *** WHEN I GET THESE BOLD COLORS IN MY FIRINGS! &nbsp;</p><p>This is a wheel-thrown stoneware clay bowl burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design. It has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning. It is - like all modern PITFIRE - decorative and is not suitable for functional or liquid use (but hold lots of m&m's). It is about 3" in height and 9" in diameter. This piece is gallery priced between $85 and $100, depending on the gallery location. PLEASE NOTE that my information about "gallery pricing" is not some ridiculously inflated pie-in-the-sky value, but is drawn from my 17 years selling similar work in high-end craft galleries and shops. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. I still appreciate my quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of my sales (and survival ...) efforts. Galleries sell my work starting between $40 and $50 for the small pieces and ranging up to $2000 for the large "masterworks". &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p>I strive to throw cool, interesting shapes - I like elegant forms, a smaller foot, sinuous lines and a feeling of volume for the vessels. Then, I take this humble ancient PITFIRE path and "push the heck out of it" - that is, for color and effect. My pitfire colors (specifically the golden yellows and oranges) are seldom matched. &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$62.00 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33371 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:08:13 -0800 33371 new 62.00 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0475/FEB20_09-33_display.jpg?20091126084710 US 12.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33367 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0365/FEB20_09-24_display.jpg?20091126084700" /><br /><p>A VERY FRIENDLY SHAPE SOUTHWEST STYLE POTTERY PIECE WITH WARM, FLOWING EARTH TONE PATTERNS FROM THE PITFIRE- AND A SPIRAL MEDALLION FOCAL POINT- &nbsp;</p><p>This is a wheel-thrown stoneware clay vase, burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design. It has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning. It is - like all modern PITFIRE - decorative and is not suitable for functional or liquid use (use a glass liner). It is about 6.5" in height and 6.5" in diameter. This piece is gallery priced between $68 and $88, depending on the gallery location. PLEASE NOTE that my information about "gallery pricing" is not some ridiculously inflated pie-in-the-sky value, but is drawn from my 17 years selling similar work in high-end craft galleries and shops. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. I still appreciate my quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of my sales (and survival ...) efforts. Galleries sell my work starting between $40 and $50 for the small pieces and ranging up to $2000 for the large "masterworks". &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p>I strive to throw cool, interesting shapes - I like elegant forms, a smaller foot, sinuous lines and a feeling of volume for the vessels. Then, I take this humble ancient PITFIRE path and "push the heck out of it" - that is, for color and effect. My pitfire colors (specifically the golden yellows and oranges) are seldom matched. &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$36.50 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33367 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:57:54 -0800 33367 new 36.50 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0365/FEB20_09-24_display.jpg?20091126084700 US 12.5 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33082 <img src="http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0772/FEB20_09-63_display.jpg?20091126013304" /><br /><p>FROM MY FEB 09 REALLY REALLY RICH PITFIRE! A DENSELY EARTH TONE CONTEMPORARY VASE FORM - DECORATIVE BUT WITH A LINER - LOVELY FOR FLOWERS! &nbsp;</p><p>This is a wheel-thrown stoneware clay vase, burnished via terra sigillata, low-fired once for stability and then primitive pit fired for color and design. It has been surface-treated for ease of cleaning. It is - like all modern PITFIRE - decorative and is not suitable for functional or liquid use (use a glass liner). It is about 8" in height and 5.5" in diameter. This piece is gallery priced between $95 and $120, depending on the gallery location. PLEASE NOTE that my information about "gallery pricing" is not some ridiculously inflated pie-in-the-sky value, but is drawn from my 17 years selling similar work in high-end craft galleries and shops. &nbsp;</p><p>ABOUT ROB DREXEL: &nbsp;</p><p>also visit: &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.robdrexel.com" rel="nofollow">www.robdrexel.com</a> &nbsp;</p><p>I have produced and successfully sold my PITFIRED pottery for the last 17 years in many dozens of upscale craft galleries coast to coast and even a touch in Europe. I still appreciate my quality gallery representatives (inquiries are invited!), but with our rapidly changing market economics, the internet is a natural expansion of my sales (and survival ...) efforts. Galleries sell my work starting between $40 and $50 for the small pieces and ranging up to $2000 for the large "masterworks". &nbsp;</p><p>WHAT IS PITFIRE? &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE is the most ancient clay firing process known to humans - most cultures have a version of PITFIRE somewhere in their pottery past. Simply put, it is burying the pots in or under various combustible materials (wood, branches, leaves, dry dung, whatever) and having a major BBQ (bonfire) above the pots. &nbsp;</p><p>In ancient times this made the pots hard and thus more useful for water carrying and grain storage. Today, because kilns can fire to much higher temperatures more evenly, pottery is PITFIRED simply for aesthetics - to make 'em pretty! It's a rough process - tough on the clay. Temperatures, unlike in a kiln, dash upward radically uneven around the pottery causing drastic temperature variations throughout the pit. Although stressful to the clay forms, this irregular inferno also lays down the wonderful colors and patterns on the ones that survive intact. The finished pieces will sometimes have small cracks or chips - but with characteristics of the fire and trauma etched into their surfaces (and into their souls ...). The end result is ancient looking - roughly beautiful, earthy and exquisite. &nbsp;</p><p>I strive to throw cool, interesting shapes - I like elegant forms, a smaller foot, sinuous lines and a feeling of volume for the vessels. Then, I take this humble ancient PITFIRE path and "push the heck out of it" - that is, for color and effect. My pitfire colors (specifically the golden yellows and oranges) are seldom matched. &nbsp;</p><p>ISN'T PITFIRE THE SAME AS RAKU? &nbsp;</p><p>No, not at all! RAKU is a somewhat ancient process (+/- 500 years old) that grew out of pottery produced by the highly skilled potters of the Japanese culture for the ancient Tea Ceremony. In the middle of the last century Americans and others became curious about the process that involves taking red hot glazed pottery out of a kiln and then doing all sorts of things to it to create interesting and beautiful results. The horsehair process on some of my pottery is a variation of RAKU. PITFIRE, probably many thousands of years old, involves no glazes, kilns or direct manipulative reduction. The pieces must be properly prepared and the pit must be carefully loaded and burned (for about 8 - 10 hours) to create the desired dramatic and colorful results. &nbsp;</p><p>PITFIRE COLORS DO NOT APPRECIABLY FADE! An unfortunate aspect of many of the most colorful RAKU finishes is that the chemicals in the glaze on the surface remain "reactive" - that is they re-oxidize, losing their brilliant hues over time, more quickly when they are in the sun in a humid climate. Pitfire coloring is a different, stable chemical composition and loses little or none of its rich coloring over time. &nbsp;</p><p>EVERY PIECE A UNIQUE CREATION! &nbsp;</p><p>One final comment: Each DREXEL piece is individually hand thrown or hand constructed from slab. Those of us lame-brain do-it-the-hard-way potters who still insist on creating every last piece by hand love to take the holier-than-them attitude about others that make a SLIP MOLD of their work and make the same exact piece over and over and over again (ad infinitum & ad nauseum!). &nbsp;</p><p>For what it's worth to you - EVERY WHEEL-THROWN OR HAND-BUILT PIECE THAT ALONE BARES MY NAME is individually created by me and is unique unto itself. Enjoy!</p><br />$55.00 http://www.1000markets.com/products/33082 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:26:21 -0800 33082 new 55.00 1 http://www.1000markets.comhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0150/0772/FEB20_09-63_display.jpg?20091126013304 US 13.5