Crystalline is the art of growing crystals on pottery during the firing process. It is a special effects glaze made primarily of particles of zinc oxide and silica. These two ingredients, along with others, are mixed with water and applied to the piece in a thick paste.

While at peak temperature (between 2340 and 2400 degrees F), a chemical reaction takes place between the zinc oxide and the silica forming seed crystals from which the crystals will eventually mature. In nature, crystals form and grow as molten rock cools. So to trigger the crystals to grow, the pottery is allowed to begin to cool. At this point the zinc will seed out as a little dot and start to grow. The temperature is then stabilized for anywhere from five to seven hours to allow the crystals to achieve the desired size. The longer the temperature is held constant the bigger the crystals can become. Once this cycle is completed, the kiln is tuned off, and the crystal growth period ends.

The consistent temperature allows the zinc in the glaze time to grow into totally unique crystalline structures creating a truly one of a kind piece of art. The design can never be duplicated. The crystalline glaze itself is white in color. Metallic pigments such as manganese dioxide, iron oxide, nickel oxide, cobalt carbonate, or copper carbonate as well as others are added to create the wide color spectrum of the crystalline glazes you see in the pottery.

Raymond creates blown glass vessels and sea shells, and is known for his unique colors and shapes. When the blown pieces are completed, they are broken off the punty rod, leaving small pieces of colored glass that historically have been taken to the land fill by most glass blowers.  

Raymond recycles these Glass bits, arranging them in abstract patterns using a ceramic form inside a kiln. The kiln is then fired to 2,000 degrees, resulting in a large glass block. After slowly cooling for up to three days, the block is trimmed using a diamond saw, then ground and hand polished with diamond disks and cerium oxide, resulting in one-of-a-kind works of art.

Raymond creates these one-of-a-kind sculptural designs using glass, metal oxides, pure copper, welded steel and brass. 

Raymond’s “Captured Copper” series begins with a sheet of pure copper that is hand cut, brushed with a chemical solution, then sandwiched between two pieces of glass. The glass and copper “sandwich” is then heated to 1500 degrees, fusing the glass and copper together. The reaction of molten glass, copper and various chemical oxides result in unique patterns that continue to surprise.

Raymond’s Ellipse and Orbs are created using two sheets of hand cut plate glass. Dichroic stringers and frit are fused to the glass sheets, then the flat sheets are heated and formed into bowl shapes before they are joined.

A steel stand is created for each piece; using an an Oxy-Acetylene torch and a brazing technique, Raymond melts brass onto the steel, creating a unique brass coating.

My work is based in the Raku firing process developed in 16th century Japan for the Japanese tea ceremony. I have taken this idea to a new level developing alternative Raku techniques over many years using modern equipment and various components including vivid new colors and ferric chloride lusters.

My Crackle and Luster Raku

First I throw each piece on the potter’s wheel using a fine grained white clay. Raku is a firing method in which the pieces are glazed and then fired to a about 1800° F. When the glaze has melted, I remove the piece from the kiln with metal tongs, apply a solution of Ferric Chloride and place it in a metal container with combustible materials such as newspaper or hay. The red-hot piece immediately ignites the combustible material causing flames and smoke. The container is covered and the fire consumes the oxygen in the container and creates a reduction atmosphere. This atmosphere, along with the smoke reacts with the clay and glaze to create unpredictable metallic and lustrous effects.

Since this process cannot be repeated the same every time, each piece is unique. It is the element of surprise and the unknown that truly interests me. My sense of form color and texture come together and evoke a passionate visual response.

My Salt Saggar and Horsehair Raku firing processes

I make each vessel on the potter's wheel using fine white clay.

Before the first firing, the vessels are burnished to the worn smoothness of a polished river stone and are fired for the first time.

Then they are sanded by hand with 400 to 600-grit sandpaper.

My Horse Hair vessels are pulled from the kiln at 1150 degrees. I lay horsehair on the surface of pots as Native Americans have for centuries. The hair burns into the surface of the clay making beautiful black and sepia marks and designs.

My Salt Saggar vessels are coated with a chemical solution that includes salts and Iron. They are then wrapped with inland oats, prairie grasses and seaweed that I collect from my travels. I add salt and copper oxide crystals then wrap it up like a baked potato in aluminum foil. I fire several at a time in my Raku kiln to 1500 degrees.

This is more of a fuming process to combine the salts and copper producing warm pinks, rusts and pale grays. No two are ever alike.

The final step is to polish the vessel with wax. This brings out the colors and produces a beautiful buttery surface.

Gift certificates are available in $25 increments and can be used for artwork or workshops

Going back to at least early Egyptian times, glass art has captured the imagination of both artists and art admirers alike. Blown glass is a historically delicate and potentially dangerous craft due to the proximity to scorching molten glass - and the risk of being killed for sharing trade secrets if you were an Italian artisan during the Middle Ages. While blown glass was invented in Syria, it's most famous in Italy, where Venetians monopolized the market for years. Over time, methods spread across the rest of Europe, America, and Asia. Nowadays, blown glass has shifted away from pure functionality, and the craft is widely recognized as an art form.

Raymond is one of the few glass artists that work alone without studio assistants, forcing him to constantly think about new ways to accomplish his objectives with the beguiling and unforgiving medium of glass. Starting with clear molten glass, the clear glass is then combined with colored and/or dichroic glass which is formed into various shapes using blowpipes, wooden blocks and paddles.

Raymond creates these one-of-a-kind flowers from molten glass rolled in colored glass frit, hand forming each one. Each flower is then mounted on a copper-clad steel rod. Suitable for indoor or outdoor display.

Raymond’s Wall Flowers combine his one-of-a-kind blown glass bowls and hand formed glass flowers, with wall hanging hardware permanently attached.

Raku is a firing process developed in 16th century Japan for the Japanese tea ceremony. Pieces fired in this manner are referred to as Raku or Raku pottery.

Pots are glazed, dried and put directly into a very hot kiln where they remain about twenty minutes until the glazes have melted at a temperature of 1820F. The piece is then removed from the gas fired kiln with long Raku tongs and put into a nest of hay or newspaper and covered with a bucket creating a reduction chamber. They are then quickly quenched with water. The reduction atmosphere produces wonderful lustrous and crackle glazes, making each piece unique.

This is a fascinating firing process to see and be a part of. Raku firing is dramatic and exciting. It is also a wonderful way to see the glazes melt and watch what happens inside the kiln in a matter of minutes.

The Raku workshop at Cliff House Studio begins at 1:00 in the afternoon, taking in the beautiful views from the studio and gallery decks. After glazing, painting and initial Raku firings we break for a dinner in the gallery or on the gallery deck. We then resume firing, pulling red hot pots (1,850 degrees) from the Raku kiln into the night air. Participants have described this as magical.

First come, first served: Maximum of 10 participants, 4-5 pots each. 

A limited number of dinner guests (over 18) are welcome.  The cost is $30 each additional guest. Reservations required.

These are examples of public art projects I have created and installed over several years.