RAKU POTTERY
WITH LEAF AND NATURE IMAGES
Nancy Briggs has been on the faculty of the Des Moines
Art Center since 1986 and currently teaches ceramics
to adults and children. Her work has been shown in regional
and national juried exhibitions.
Using the raku pottery technique, Nancy is able to
give her pottery and sculpture a mysterious, ancient
quality. The pottery is quickly heated to melt the glaze,
then is removed from the kiln while red hot and placed
in beds of sawdust to smoke the wares. This smoking
gives the clay its black color and the glazes their
rich metallic look. Due to the process, raku pottery
is therefore fragile and porous.