When Life Imitates Art

Even though I had my gloves on this morning when I pulled up this trap, I wasn't sure I wanted to tackle the creature you see on the left.

Don't let this pose fool you...he tried to bite me.

I have since learned it is a sculpin. I also learned lobsters love sculpin. Notice there were no lobsters in this trap.

I was told you should slam the fish against a hard surface and throw him back into the trap for bait or just stab him with a knife. I released him.

Until today, we had

never seen anything like it.

Or have we?

Raku = Joy

Here's the little guy that survived the 2000 degree heat in my previous post. He now proudly takes his place on the shelf with the other pieces having pulled through the tremendous thermal shock of the raku firing.



Shortly after we last saw him, hot as a burning ember from a woodstove fire, he was transported via long handled tongs to a trash can that had been sitting in the 30 degree night air. Next, he was sprinkled with sawdust that was quickly ignited by the heat emanating from his modeled clay body. After about 30 seconds, down came the lid on the trash can until shortly after dawn the next day. A perfect hour to reveal the magic of raku. You can never predict the results. But the immense joy you feel as you see what is waiting inside that can for you, is nothing short of how a kid feels opening presents on Christmas morning.