Ken Larson & Patricia Larson

Pat and Ken Larson are a collaborative team, each working together on every piece – each in his or her own area of expertise. We have no assistant helping with any part of the work.

We use both wheelthrown and hand-building techniques to make our clay vessels, wallpieces and sculpture. Outer surfaces both smooth and textured are finished by burnishing either the original clay surface or an applied terra sigillata (fine clay slip), then bisque fired. In the final firing the work is heated to the desired temperature and withdrawn for reduction work, or is left to cool within the kiln.

Our final firings utilize low temperature methods varying with the desired outcome.

Low Temperature Salt Saggar: Pieces are fired within another covered ceramic vessel (saggar) salt, metallic sulfates, carbonates, fine wire and reduction materials combine to color and stain the fired clay.

Blackware: The work is loaded into the kiln and heated to about 1500 degrees F. At the point the vessel or sculpture is removed and placed in containers prepared with a bed of wood planer shavings and covered with more shavings. A lid is then placed on the container and the piece is allowed to reduce until cool enough to remove.

Localized reduction with organic materials: The piece is removed from the kiln at about 1450 degrees F and placed on an insulated surface. First the piece is sprinkled with sawdust, then cotton thread, pine needles, hair, grasses, etc. are burned on to create anything from sharp lines to subtle shadows.

Size Range: Our work ranges in size from small table top vessels and sculpture to large pedestal pieces. Work designed for wall installation varies from 2 to 10 feet in width and 3 to 8 feet in height.

Education: Ken has a B.A. in art from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, 1978. Pat has a B.S. in art from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, 1975.