Back in the Swing

 This weekend required one car ride with a friend (thank you so much Miss Mia), two changes of vehicle into and after the show, a train ride, lastly a taxi to my door, and you've got the full journey of my pots this weekend. That is, the ones I can still say are in my keeping. I am happy (and oh so very greatful!) to say that I had an excellent one day show. Despite drippy rainy weather friends new and old managed to stop in for a chat and a chance to fondle some of my pots. Occaisionaly (I am guessing) the pots felt right, and where thustly given new homes. I do so hope that everyone who took home something of mine gets great pleasure from it's daily use. The picture above is of my pots all wrapped up for their return journey and the pots below are some from the last firing that are no longer in my hands.



I was actually veyr surprised by what sold

at this show. I thought that people would be

looking for cheap small things. This is why I

made so many ochokos in my last firing.



Another surprise from the show:
I am not particularly fond of
this glaze, but it was very well recieved.
 Many people picked it up and
one walked away with it.



While these three ochoko all sold, my
 biggest sellers were rice bowls and coffee mugs. I even got a few comissions for big  mugs.

 

 

All in all I sold just over 20 pots, and sent about eight to the antique shop East of Kochi City that has a little corner dedicated to my work.

I decided when I started making pots at Susaki High School that aside from buying more clay (so that I could keep making my pots) any money I made would get funneled right back into the ceramics course and improving its equipment. Thanks to the surprisingly good buisness I have ordered several new glazes for the students (who don't have access to all the glazes that I use) and some much needed new clay cutters, metal ribs, and some other asorted tools. My orriginal plan was to save up and buy something major (like a pug mill or perhaps a glaze spray comressor), but after a discussion with Tabe Sensei it seemed more realistic and imediately useful to modernize and resupply a bit. I hope the students like the new glazes.

I spent today in the studio finishing some brush work on a sculptural peice, and attempting to get back into the swing of centering and producing work. I did not succeed, today, in finding my old throwing center. Time to get back to making! Practice, practice, practice!