raina mast

About me and my art:

I’ve been around the block: from PA to NY, PR and now CA. I’ve been teaching for 20+ years and make my art in little intense pockets of time in my shed studio in San Francisco. I bounce between clay, painting, music and writing. My pottery is small batch and I love to do commission work.

In addition to making art, I am currently a Spanish teacher, parent of 3, spouse to 1, and a blossoming fan of the new WNBA team, the Golden State Valkyries! (Listen to my new podcast here)

I’m very grateful to my mentors for ceramics: Barb Diduk, Brook Wiley, Walter Heath, Karen Koltonow, Pablo Insurralde; and to my painting mentors Ward Davenny and Ed Kerns. My skills would be nothing without them, my life so much less inspired. Please support their work!

Photo above by Nicole Seguin Photography

 

This isn’t about production. It’s about making good art when time allows.

Clay

I prefer porcelain and stoneware clay made by Laguna and Aardvark. My favorites are Speckled Buff, Red Velvet, Dixon, Obsidian, Nara, Baboo, and Frost. I don’t like to waste, so I hand-recycle, sometimes mixing clay bodies.

What I use:

Glazes

I use combinations of my own recipes and commercial, mostly Spectrum and Amaco. My favorite is cone 6 Snow because it is dependable and pretty.

Kiln

I learned on gas in college and was spoiled at the public studio in SF with two reduction kilns, but I’ve adjusted to electric oxidation fires in my most recent community studio and am now adjusting to an old Cress. I have my eyes on a more energy efficient Skutt.

Tools

Bleeker Station bat system helps keep things round when I throw thin. For texture, I’m good with old credit cards and the cheapest ribbon tools I can find. Someday I’ll invest in Diamond tools.

Time

I work as a teacher during the weekdays, so I sneak in clay time during lunch breaks and then a long artmaking shift about once a week. Having a home studio will save commute and cleaning time so I can pop in and out from parenting and spousing with more fluidity.

Space

I work in my 9’x12’ little studio space in my backyard. I have an 18” old Cress kiln that a friend of a friend named passed along to me. Thank you Leta and Candice!