Simon Rich
Simon Rich's GalleryNarbeth, Penbrokeshire
For the past 5 years or so Simon has been concentrating on producing fumed copper Raku pieces. He also combines filmed copper with Terrasigilata, using African bush fire techniques, and has recently resumed his work with crystal glazes. Simon aims through constant innovation, experimentation and perfection of techniques and forms to create works of outstanding quality and beauty.
Crystalline Glazes
Crystalline glazes are produced by overloading a glaze with zinc oxide. Small amounts of metal oxides are then added to colour the glazes. The pots are fired rapidly to 1260 C, allowed to cool to 1000 C and held there for three hours. During this time the zinc begins to grow crystals within the glaze.
Fumed Copper
The process of fuming copper oxide and carbonate onto raku pottery can be one of the most spectacular and elusive techniques known. Given the correct treatment, copper can give the raku potter an infinite spectrum of exciting colours and surface qualities, which cannot be matched by any other oxide.
Simon limits himself to making only vases and bowls while producing finned copper raku. The full, rounded shapes that appeal to him actually lend themselves to this method, as the rounded form is more likely to give pleasing results. All his work is wheel thrown. Larger pieces are often made in two parts and joined together the following day. When leather hard they are turned and smoothed to obtain the desired profile. After drying, the pots are biscuit fired to 1000 C. The first stage of the raku process is to glaze the inside of the pot and allow this to dry before applying the copper. Copper oxide or carbonate is then mixed with the small amounts of alkaline fritt – 9tol, and then applied to the outside by spraying, brushing and dipping. Finally, Simon places one or two pots in the raku kiln and fires them to 1000-1100 C. They are then allowed to cool to 900 C and removed by long handled tongs, then plunged into straw to reduce the copper to a bright metal (a copper coated pot). The pot is oxidised and simultaneously reduced to produce colour.