COMMACK SCHOOLS

CHS ceramics students headed outdoors on Wednesday to participate in raku firing with visiting artist Gina Mars, the director of art at the Spirit of Huntington Center.

In the days leading into the visit, the student artists had prepared pottery with raku clay.

Then, under Mars’ guidance, the students removed the pottery from a kiln and placed it in enclosed containers with flames. That movement spurred reactions that dramatically affected the colors in the glazes and clay bodies.

The students ultimately carefully cooled the artwork with water.

Raku is the Japanese art of firing ceramics.

The experience was presented by Arts in Education.