My little hare has come to life! This time with his ears flopped down. There's something about the way his tail peeps out from between his downcast ears that melts my heart a little bit!
 
Floppy 'Midnight' has been cast using a black parian clay, this produces an attractive rich charcoal black with a soft sheen reminiscent of wrought iron.
 
I originally hand-built my hare based on the character I carve into my sgraffito pieces, it was amazing to see him come to 3D life! From this original hare, I created a mould, so that I am able to slipcast more hares! Each hare is cast in 2 pieces which I then join together, after hand fettling each piece. After the hares have fully dried I inlay some white clay into his eyes and then fire to high temperature.

Midnight measures  220mm long x 120mm tall x 85mm wide
 
Raku fired ceramics have been through a tremendous journey to reach this point, all the elements combine to create their random and beautiful surface patterns. Because these hares have no glaze on their surface they should be kept out of direct sunlight, to avoid fading, and be polished with a soft cloth and wax, a couple of times a year, to maintain their shine. Any 'imperfections' should be considered part of their charm!