GALLERY: Creativity burning through in raku pottery

Student pots sit taped up and ready to be fired in Art Strong's kiln on Monday morning. Press photos by Kate Hayden

Charles City artists John Schneckloth and Art Strong check the kiln's temperature as they help Brian Bohlen's high school art class finish off raku pottery projects on Monday.

Students transfer pots from the kiln to metal barrels lined with newsprint.

The newsprint inside metal barrels catches fire as junior Tylor Zuspan covers the bin with wet newsprint and a lid.

Senior Hannah Meighan adds wet newsprint and a lid to the top of the metal barrel, which holds raku pottery.

Sophomore Ryan Zuspan adds pots taken from the kiln into the metal barrels.

Students check on their pots after fifteen minutes in the metal barrels.

Seniors Madelyn Bilharz and Sandra Bontemps in their safety gear after transferring pottery from the kiln.

Sophomore Ryan Zuspan takes the last pot out of the kiln. Zuspan's pot would be treated with horsehair, so it does not go into the metal barrels with the other raku pottery.

Students clean the ashes off of their pottery to reveal coloring from the raku treatment.

Students clean the ashes off of their pottery to reveal coloring from the raku treatment.

Art Strong inspects one of the student's pots after it is cleaned on Monday.

Sophomore Ryan Zuspan adds horsehair to his pot to create the veined designs.

Art Strong fires the horsehair on sophomore Ryan Zuspan's pot, burning the design into the clay.

Art Strong in his garage workshop.

Student pottery treated with horsehair sits on top of Art Strong's kiln.