| From Start to Finish!! |
| Each piece of Mary's work is truly an original. From the early preparations to the finishing touches ... Mary Diddle is there. Follow the journey below from start to final work of art. |
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| 1. First, Mary mixes all of her own unique glazes from the appropriate chemicals making 6 to 12 different recipes. | 2. The clay is then molded by hand and bisque-fired. Mary then brushes on her glazes. When they have dried, the pieces are gently placed into the gas kiln for firing. | 3. The temperature in the kiln can rise to nearly 1800 degrees F. in only about 1 hour. |
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| 4. Without the use of a pyrometer, Mary relies on her years of experience to judge the firing solely by visual cues. | 5. Once the firing has been completed, the red-hot pieces are removed from the kiln with safety gloves and tongs. | 6. They are placed in a combustible material inside cans or in the ground and covered for about 15 minutes. |
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| 7. After which ... they are removed from the cans and run under a stream of water. | 8. Finally ... The carbon from the fire is scrubbed away with an abrasive cleanser... | ... to yield this magnificent work of art. |
| "As a result of this firing
process, no two pieces can be identical nor can the results be
duplicated or predicted. Every firing is exciting and creates surprises
to keep me motivated to continue my work in RAKU."
- Mary Diddle |