Ceramic Fireballs
art from the fire…
…eyebrows optional.
Unique in every aspect, from their carved designs, to the fire’s influence
Each ceramic fireball sculpture is a small tribute to Aragorn Dick-Read’s huge steel fireball sculptures that are such a special part of Trellis Bay’s Full Moon parties. Those big guys are carved from 6-foot diameter ex-mooring balls by Aragorn and his talented team; these small ceramic versions are handmade on the potter’s wheel at TerraForma BVI exclusively for Aragorn’s Studio.
from the potter’s wheel…
Each one starts life as a hollow sphere, with their intricate designs hand drawn on the clay then carefully carved out and detailed with a variety of tools.
carved and ready to fire…
Once completely dry, they are bisque fired, burning off all the chemically combined water and transforming the clay into ceramic. Glazes are then applied ready for the Raku Kiln.
raku firing…
The fireballs are heated in the small, propane powered Raku kiln until the glazes become molten and shiny, around 1000°C/1800°F.
At this top temperature, the potter carefully removes the pieces from the kiln with metal tongs and places them on beds of shredded paper and/or sawdust.
post-firing reduction…
As the combustibles ignite, the flames are starved of oxygen by quickly covering the whole thing with a metal bin, causing the flames within to “steal” oxygen from the glazes as they try to keep burning. The flames change the chemical makeup of the glazes and in so doing effect their colours.
Ta-da!
In addition, this “post firing reduction” technique generates a lot of carbon which gets absorbed into any unglazed parts of the pottery, including the unique patterns of crazing that have occurred in the glazes due to the rapid cooling of the pieces.
A black, crackled finish and flashes of metallic lustre are distinctive features of this kind of work.
We make two sizes of fireball that are almost always available from the adjacent gallery at Aragorn’s Studio in various designs.
Regular Fireballs are about 7-8 inches in diameter and are priced at $360 each.
Small Fireballs are about 5 inches in diameter and are $200.
We very frequently make these to order to with prefered imagery combinations and inscriptions at no extra charge. We can also make designs that include specific and personal imagery such as pets, locations, hobbies, events etc. With these commissions, we work from a client’s photographs, and prices are subject to a $50 -$100 surcharge depending on complexity.
