Raku's remains were returned to us from the pet crematorium. my sister wanted that done so we can scatter his ashes on the heather where he used to lie. there is still a patch there which he carved, or nudged out for himself. we used to look out the window and laugh to see his little head pop up from the rockery.
i would have been just as happy burying him out in the back garden, with a little marker to say he was there, or even the notion of taxidermy, one of Derren Brown's pursuits, crossed my mind momentarily. you don't see that done a lot, i don't even think i've ever seen a taxidermy shop. but that idea creeps most people out, and the possibility of a taxidermist not getting your pet just right is quite probable, as they didn't know him/her. cremation was probably the right option though, seeing as Raku is the word for a Japanese ceramic firing process.
it's still strange around the house, everyone still misses him and we often think we catch a glimpse of a little black and white face at the window, or under the table. he was a very cool cat as i said before, but it's a little bizarre just how much his quiet little presence is missed. my mother especially misses him so as a birthday present recently i made a sculpey version of Raku to site there quietly. she was very happy with it saying i captured his personality. it is strangely comforting to have a plastic memento of him. here is the sculpture unpainted and baking in the oven.
i don't have painted up pics just yet. will try and get some soon.
this was just my second proper sculpey attempt (first being the
Shoemoney head) and i'm quite pleased the way it turned out. the fur was interesting to form.
maybe one day i should take a cast of it and make a proper raku ceramic figure out of Raku.
