Tom and Nancy Giusti - a delicate combustion

We love seeing signs of the maker's hand in a piece of work - and we are especially mesmerized by art that lets the piece itself have the final say. Raku, for instance.

Tom and Nancy Giusti have been making Raku pottery since 1984, so they have the process about as fine-tuned as you can get something buried in combustible materials.

The nature-inspired vessels and wall pieces you see in the gallery are created by Tom and Nancy Giusti using the ancient Japanese method of Raku. Each piece is removed from the kiln when it reaches a temperature of 1400 degrees Fahrenheit and immediately plunged into a pit of combustible material such as sawdust or shredded paper. The resulting smoke and flames interact with the glaze creating shimmering metallic colors which enhances the gracefully drawn wildlife figures and plant impressions.

Nature Prints are made by pressing plant life into clay. Each piece is as different and unique as nature itself.

A batch of Japanese Maple nature prints, drying in the sun

As a team, with Nancy's drawing ability and Tom's technical ability, the two have created some bright, stunning and refined images to be used on the usually rough and primitive Raku Pottery. The copper base glaze is an ever-changing contrast surface, taking on the environment it's exposed to.

(If you'd like to know more about their studio assistant, Charlie, she has her own blog, here.)

The Raku Fire
Raku dates back to the early 1500s, when it was used in Japan for the tea ceremony. The word Raku in early times signified "enjoyment of freedom." Now, the pottery is more decorative than useful in the long term, as it is quite soft and fragile. Raku fired pottery made by Americans is heated and buried in combustible materials such as sawdust, leaves and newspapers, to give greater contrast and bright vibrant colors to the glazed surfaces.

Nancy spent several years teaching for the Peace Corps in Ghana, where she acquired a greater influence and appreciation for the creation of primitive pottery which led her into this art form.

While a member of the Nature Printing Society, Tom had an opportunity to also study the art of Gyotaku (fish rubbings) from a master Gyotaku artist of Japan, Mr. Takahashi. Tom's background includes many years as a machinist and welder, plus repairing and building many different types of equipment. With this technical background he has been able to design and build much of the equipment in their studio.

We think the early signification of raku applies as much now as it did 500 years ago. There's a freedom in Tom and Nancy's work that simply can't be replicated in manufactured pottery.

We love that.

Please note, all raku is for indoor décor only. The copper base glaze is an ever changing surface and it will take on the environment to which it is exposed. Please take great care of your art work and avoid excessive handling or cleaning. Exposure to strong sunlight or harsh air pollutants could adversely affect the surface colors. If cleaning becomes necessary, dry dusting with a clean soft cloth is best. Clean soft water may be used if necessary. At no time should cleaning detergents or scouring pads be used.

A Bowl to Hold

"The handmade object has a vitality of its own that no mass produced thing can duplicate.” 

- Beatrice Wood

What is it about handmade objects that is so appealing? We think it has to do with the maker. We hear time and again that a craftsperson made a certain thing because he or she wanted one. When you start from the point of wanting one yourself, your focus is on how to make it great, not how to make it profitable. Fortunately, great can be profitable, too.

Mea Rhee of Good Elephant makes pots that have a quiet vitality all their own - so we thought she'd be a good person to ask about what separates functional ware from functional ware you choose every day. There's something about the shape of her pots that makes them irresistible to pick up and hold.

"That factor is really important to me," Mea says of how a pot feels in your hands. "I think this is the difference between pots that are frequently used, and those that get shuffled to the back of a cupboard. I tweak my designs whenever I see some way to improve this. In particular, I like pots that have rounded bottoms with no foot ring, which fit in the cup of your hand. And they must be balanced for weight, i.e. not top-heavy or bottom-heavy. I also think my semi-matte glaze is really nice to touch."

We've found that people who make pottery use handmade pottery, and Mea is no exception. "I look for pots that specifically fit the types of food that I like to cook and eat," she says. "I drink lots of coffee so I buy large mugs. I eat a lot of rice dishes, so I look for bowls that will hold the amount of food I want. I look for the same qualities that I strive for in my own pots: weight, balance, and comfort."

When buying pottery, she cites a deep admiration for wood-fired pottery, especially when combined with highly functional forms and surfaces. "I mostly buy pots where the aesthetic qualities are in that [woodfired] spectrum, with natural color palettes, and lots of subtle surface textures, things that can only be achieved with a whole lot of practice and expertise."

Given her fondness for woodfired pottery, it's not surprising to learn that at one point Mea thought she needed to move to a rural area and build a fuel-burning kiln in order to be taken seriously as a potter. In 2007 she attended a trade show with wholesale buyers, who took her work seriously just as it is. That's where we found her! Over time she's learned "you don't have to go somewhere else in order to chase your dream. Build it where you are."

Good advice worth pondering over a big cup of coffee and bowl of rice.

Bread Pots!

I've been making no-knead bread since reading about it in the New York Times a few years ago. It makes a loaf of bread that will amaze your friends - if it ever gets that far. In our family, the bread never lasts more than an afternoon.

Why am I telling you all this? Because Judith Motzkin's been making no-knead bread, too. And where I had to do with an odd covered casserole, she up and made herself a bread pot.

To our great delight, she made enough to share with us. Here are some getting ready for the kiln:

Come by to pick one out in person, or email us for photos of current stock. They're all slightly different and each one has Judy's rye bread recipe written inside the lid so you'll never forget how to make the easiest bread ever.

Bread pots include a little note from Judy that says "because I needed one."

We need one, too.

up from the ashes

no pun intended. Okay, maybe.

Here's an old interview we did with Ben Krupka for a woodfired pottery show we did back in 2003. Many of the things he said apply to other artists - heck, they apply to us too. Enjoy.

Interview with Ben Krupka

LBG: What led you to work with a woodfired kiln?

Ben: I began woodfiring because of the forms that I was making. I look for a softness and voluptuousness in my pots. My work tends to have soft curves and flowing lines and lends itself to the atmosphere in a woodfired kiln. The type of kiln I use is a train or coffin style kiln where the draft and flow of the flame travels across the kiln - a "cross-draft kiln". This accentuates the curves and shoulders of pots. In most gas kilns and electric kilns the path of the flame doesn't accentuate pots, it is used as a source of heat to melt glazes. The wood kiln does that, but it also naturally glazes my work, highlighting the areas that need highlighting. So woodfiring for me started as an experiment, and grew to a very controlled process where the type of wood I use, the clay I use, and the way the pots are set in the kiln highly influence what they will look like when they are finished. Some chalk woodfiring up to the kiln Gods and feel that the effects you get from a wood kiln are always a mystery. The truth is that it is a process in which the flame is directed by the loader of the kiln. So I don't exactly know what is going to happen every time, but I do what I can to promote particular things to take place. Basically, woodfiring is a way of glazing that works directly in conjunction with the forms that I am making. It is a rawness that shows the clay in a naked type of state that can't be produced in any other way.


LBG: Do you use handmade pottery in your home? Why would it be preferable to use something handmade?

Ben: Yes, I only use handmade pottery. The work I use is by other potters and friends as well as myself. Each piece has its own personality, just like people. It makes beverages better when housed in a handmade cup or mug. It is a way of bringing art into daily life. Really, if you think about it, there aren't many things we put to our lips. We use them to kiss and things like that, which make our lips a very sensual part of us. So I guess you have to treat them well. Why take such a sensual object and put a styrofoam cup or paper cup to them?


LBG: What is your favorite thing about what you do?

Ben: I love to see a group of people using a large platter or serving dish that I made full of food on the table. It completes the entire process.


LBG: Is there an evolution process in your work, and if so, what is your goal for the future?

Ben: My work is constantly evolving. The forms I make change, based on what it is that I need or want to embellish or highlight as a ritual in my life. Some things, like a cup, might look the same to a viewer over a period of a year or so, but there are subtle things different about the cup I made today compared to the cup I made 2 weeks ago. The rim or foot may have changed a bit, or the way the line moves around the cup may also be a bit different. The way I work with the wood kiln is always changing. Different techniques for loading, firing, cooling, etc. are also always changing because each time you fire you learn something you didn't know before. Also, just when you think you have figured something out, there will be an unexplained phenomenon and you're back to square one. Challenging myself with what I make, how I fire, and how I see things is what fuels me to continue making work.

11/2003