Artist’s Bio

Mary Ursuliak received her training in clay in Edmonton, Alberta and has a BA (special) with 2 majors in Art and Psychology from the University of Alberta. Her works have been shown in various art exhibitions in Alberta and British Columbia. Her pieces are in private and public collections in Canada, US, England, Netherlands, France, Austria, Germany, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Japan. Mary's specialty is Raku.

Raku
Raku is derived from an ancient Japanese method of firing. The pots are fired very quickly in a small kiln. When the glaze has melted, they are quickly removed, red hot, with a pair of tongs. The pots are placed in a bed of leaves, hay, sawdust, (or junk mail…), and allowed to cool. The unusual colours and patterns come from the effect of the flames. When cooling, the oxygen in the metal oxides in the glaze is released and changes the colour to a metallic finish. Raku pieces are not watertight and hence are not meant to be functional. The word "Raku" means enjoyment and pleasure. Hopefully the finished work reflects those qualities of unpredictability and spontaneity.