I took my first ceramics class at Kalamazoo Valley Community College at the age of 60. I had never tried any clay work before and to my delight, I found I loved it! With clay, I can start a project with just a messy lump, and eventually mold and shape it into what I want it to be, or at times what the clay wants to be (clay sometimes has a mind of its own).
Since that very first class at KVCC, I have continued to take a variety of clay courses, attend many lectures, and have traveled to workshops across the country. I've  worked with both low fire clay and high-fire clay and tried creating vessels of all sorts of shapes and sizes.
 At this point of my career, my major emphasis and focus are on Raku fired wall decor.  Raku firing is intense and smoky and scary at times but mainly exciting!  Many items can crack or break during the transition of conception to a finished glazed creation. Colors change from what you think they may be depending on the heat in the kiln, black can turn copper, and copper can turn green! I just love the element of surprise with Raku and my hope is to continue designing, creating and firing my clay creations for as long as possible! 

www.grandrabbitspottery.com
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