About 20 years ago a South African Lorraine Marinkowitz started experimenting in the production of Raku beads. Influenced by the natural beauty of the wild life in South Africa she expanded her creative talents to producing animals and birds. Color also plays a large role in African life, the Ndebele tribe paint their houses in geometric shapes with bright colors. Although the manufacturing process lends it's self to earth tones only, Lorraine developed a technique to achieve bright geometric shapes which completes the connection between the wild life and it's people. Her wonderful pieces are known as Raku Art and are treasured by collectors through the world.