Pots By Luke Studio
My home studio is in beautiful Sedona, Arizona and is open by appointment. Currently, I do much of my work at the Reitz Ranch (originally created by the world-renowned Don Reitz) in Clarkdale, Arizona.
High-Fire Pottery
Luke Metz also does medium and high-fire pottery. The high-fire is often done in reduction. Reduction means that there is a reduced amount of oxygen available in the kiln during certain stages of the firing. Reduction-firing is essential to produce the dramatic effects that are possible with Shino glazes. There are glazes that are called Shino glazes that mimic the look of reduction fired Shino glazes but the difference is quite noticeable. Reduction firing could be considered an atmospheric firing since the high carbon atmosphere is affecting the final result.
Most of the high-fire and medium-fire pottery that Luke Metz produces is water and food- safe. It is usually safe in the dishwasher as well as the microwave oven. Various galleries in the Sedona area offer the ceramic art of Luke Metz.
Wood-firing is an intensive process that often takes many days and reaches temperatures that are usually higher than other high-firing techniques. The ash and flames from burning the wood will often create intriguing decorations as witnessed with the same shown here.
Soda Firing is another form of firing. It is a high fire technique where baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is introduced into the kiln at a very high temperature. The baking soda vaporizes and flows throughout the kiln. Thus this like wood firing the results are affected by the atmosphere with in the kiln. Thus it is what is called an “atmospheric firing”.
Raku Pottery and Other Alternative Firings
The ceramic art and raku pottery of Luke Metz are created in the area of Sedona, Arizona. He loves raku firing and also does other alternative firings such as saggar-firing, and pit firing. These are all atmospheric firings (chemicals in the atmosphere of the
firing affect the final result) and produce exciting and unique results. These alternative firing techniques are known for their unpredictability and this is part of why Luke Metz finds them exciting.
Except for soda firing, these pottery pieces are not functional They are not intended for food or water. A removable label on the bottom of these pieces indicates this restriction. The Care Instructions page under the Alternative Fire menu option explains the special care suggested for these types of ceramic art.
See the Artist section of this site for Luke Metz for more information on the artist and his history, awards, and shows. This section also gives some information about Sedona, Arizona.
The examples shown on this page are decorative pieces. I also create functional ware. You can see samples on the functional ware page.
