New Horizons

As the sun rises I awake to the sound of swallows on the windowsill and the river flowing behind the apartment, and increasingly when I wake I greet the day with the thought that today is going to be a day to create. A day to play. Another day to dream more. I am getting closer and closer to the genesis of my love for pottery. It is one of the few areas I have found where I am actually able to directly (at times at least) translate my dreams into physical being. Sometimes those dreams are spawned from seeing other potter's work, sometimes from nature, and sometimes from the clay itself as it spins on the wheel. My enthusiasm for pots has only been on the incline since I last wrote my friends.

Now, I know that was a long time ago, and I am sorry for abandoning you a bit. You see, I created a Facebook business page for A. Sartorius Ceramics, and the benefits and progress of continuing to post there are far and away more measurable and read than my continued posting on Blogger has been. This could be, and probably is, user error to some degree. However I have a new resolution to do my very best to post once a week here. I like having the ability to go more into the details of what I am reading about, listening to, and thinking about my making process. So I think we'll dub Thursday the day for thoughts and thinkings on all things throwing and pottery related.

In the time between our last conversation I've stumbled upon a few really great things for all those creatively minded with a pension for pots. The Tales of a Red Clay Rambler  is a weekly podcast put out by Ben Carter who is fantastic potter. Ben is doing some really incredible stuff and is very vocal about potters being culture makers. His interviews with other potters talk about everything from the state of the contemporary market to artist's inspirations and creative movements. I look forward to the new podcast each week, and you should check it out!

May was a busy month for me, with two really fantastic shows. The first was an event in Matsuyama, Ehime at the Sen Guesthouse. Live music by three of my very good friends from Kochi, and the guest house owners mixed up some delightful specialty cocktails for the event. Loads of great people came bye.

Towards the end of the month I participated in a group show at the Quard Market in Ino. This event was WAY busier than I was ready for, and was an absolute blast to go to. A day of local artists, food vendors, and musicians all coming together. There were tons of people. Great times all around.

Like I said I am going to make a concerted effort to bring this blog back into the light of day once a week. There's always more to talk about, and pots to be made! Hopefully I can revamp the blog a bit and get it up to the same level as the A. Sartorius Ceramics facebook page (which you should definitely go check out), and while you're there you should go ahead and pop on over to my brand spanking new Etsy shop! It's just getting off the ground, and I'm a total beginner at managing all this digital media, but it's the way of the future! And that future, it's coming our way. See you next Thursday!

Stuck in over-DRIVE

Today I'll walk the 20 minutes it takes to wind my way from my school to the Gallery where my work is. The walk will have my eyes right in the sun as it begins it's descent toward the mountains that encircle the horizon. I'll wind my way through Susaki propper. I'll pass the tiny hill top temple just after the only nice bike shop in town, and the famous soya(sho-yu) sauce business that all the city tourism pamphlets foucs on. I'll pass the post office, 4 run down houses overflowing with weeds and litterbox stinks, and many windows that belong to stores I've never seen open. I'm already anticipating the sense of relief I know the space will bring.

 I havn't been able to spend nearly enough time here since the show started. On a rainy Saturday I met Tabe Sensei and her son for breakfast and we went to the show together.

 The building is just one block off the main road through town, and it affords it a quietness that I love. When a guest goes into the main room the gallery owners bring you a small cup of iced tea to enjoy as you explore the exhibit. I really loved spending time asking Tabe Sensei about her feedback on my exhibit. I miss having someone to bounce my ceramic ideas off at school. It was a great morning. Don't worry you faithful readers there will be more pictures of the exhibit to come shortly. This weekend I'll be hosting a one day workshop on tile carving and texturing. I'll also be photoing the exhibit to better showcase the space. I'm not looking forward to taking the exhibit down. There ended up being about 104 peices once everything was unwrapped and on the tables.

    The reasons I've not been able to soak in the gallery is because fall is always the most chaotic time for me as an English teacher. Speach contest has rolled around again, and I'm rehersing with a student every day after school (she's fantastic and excited about English. It is rare and wonderful!). I'll be starting my extra lessons with the older folks in my area at the local community center come November (they are always a blast, but it means extra lessons and loads of planning). There are also of course the ever present tests and papers to grade.

But the real pain has been studying for the Japanese Driving test. It's a wonderful strange process that has been ranted about far too many times in the history of internet I'm sure. If you're really curious about the multi colored insanity show that's pictured above and my exact thoughts on it, feel free to ask. I take the test tomorrow, and despite studying, and being a fairly compitant experienced driver, I've less than high hopes for my first Japan Driving Test experience. Who knows!

What I do know is I can't wait for the workshop on Saturday, or to get back in the studio once the kiln is repaired. I have a whole batch of new work that's ready to fire, and a new goal to work towards with my ceramics. Thanks for reading, and if you've time come on bye the show.

Go create something!

Flurry and Dust.

You're invited to come to: 

At the start of this long endevor I simply was craving exposure. I had 60 or 70 some peices gathering dust in my studio. My own collection of work rarely seen, and by anyone but you few internet friends. It was (has been) a supremely personal journey for the past 3 years into the world of pottery. The process of arranging and working towards a gallery show is so vastly different from the solotude of the studio I am so accustomed to when I make my works. Meeting the wonderful staff of the Machigato Gallery in Susaki, thinking over the best ways to instal my work in the gallery's space and "fill" it to a point that looks good, and then there is publicizing (which for me comes as the most difficult party). It is all wonderful, and new, and also very tiring.

 My extra time this week was eaten by preping works for transit to their new monthlong home. Hand wrapping each peice is an excellent time for self critique. My hands cradle each peice, and my fingers find the gritty imperfections that my eyes never reveal when I simply look at my collection. The learner's trials and happy accidents litter the surfaces of many of my works, and their lessons are greater for my growth than I could have hoped for.

Consequently, handling and wrapping each peice also kicked up quite a bit of duest which has rather unhappily settled itself in my nose. I sent 7 boxes packed full to the gallery on Monday, and will spend the greater part of tomorrow installing it all for the first time. I can't wait to see everyone's resonce to my work, and hope that you'll find the time to come and see it. I'm ever greatful for input and for your readership of my journey.

Before I go, I have been working on some new tiles for a tile workshop I'll be teaching on September 28th. Unfortunately the school's kiln's controle pannel and power switch have fallen victim to the extreem humidity here in Kochi. Yamatogi sensei assures me that it will be up and running again sometime in October, but for now that just means some of my peices will not be making it into my first show. It really jus tmeans I have more time to fill the kiln with more work for the next show!

Have a great day!
GO and make something!

Return

After a long trip home, the first in 2 years, I'm back in Susaki and in the studio. There is a lot of work to be done before the opening of my show on September 13th. I've been granted space in the Machikado Gallery to display my work. I've never put together a show before, esspecially a solo exhibition, so my thoughts about the best ways to display everything and all the other ins and outs are really racing.

I have always loved texture and surface decorations. They alter the tone and give the eye a reason to pull the hands to the peice. This show's collection is largely going to e peices that focus on texture and giving a sense of agedness to something new, and also atempting to replicate the natural element of an atmospheric firing in my electric kiln with only factory made glazes and changes to the temperature and exposure of the firing cycle. Just come and have a look!

Home was wonderful, as home should be! The whole family came out in force to welcome me back. We soaked eachother in for two weeks, and I even managed to see some of my oldest and dearest friends from both high school and the good old Wooster days. There will be more info and news to come along with more photos of new work, but for now the sauna of a studio is calling to me. Thanks for reading! It's good to be back.

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!

Hata Fest NEW WORK Fun Explosions!

We're only two days away from HATA FEST (the link is in all Japanese, but I like to imagine there are half a handful of Japanese readers out there in the datosphere). The first day, Saturday, will be performances from fantastic musicians (and other fun items of interests), and Sunday will be the day that yours truly is showing his collection to any and all would be feedbackers and conversationalists (who all hopefully become overcome by the urge to give these poor lonely pots a new homes). 

In even more blatant terms PLEASE COME SAY HI TO ME AND MANY OTHER ALT's and lovely people this weekend! 

RIGHT! 

Now, finally the long promised results from last weeks new firing. Behold! 

Opening this kiln load up was like discovering Santa had moved his workshop into my basement overnight. So, what did I do differently and why did I choose to do it? Well the short answer is that I sped up the rise in temperature of my firing cycle and added an extremely exaggerated cooling "down firing" to the end of it.  

WHY? 

The idea came from reading this article, by Steve Hill, in February's issue of Ceramics Monthly. The article focused on Steve's journey from higher temperature gas firings to his current work with electric kilns. In the article he speaks extensively on how to achieve the "magical, unpredictable surface effects that result from atmospheric firing techniques," without having an atmospheric environment to fire in. In basic terms, how to make electric oxidation firing look more like the highly sought after effects of other firing method such as: soda firing, wood firing, pit firing, the previously mentioned gas firing, raku firing, and countless others. The article's main thrust can be summed up by a quote from Pete Pinnell:

“In reduction firing, glazes can stratify into layers during the course of the firing. Longer firings and slower cooling cycles, along with the effects of reduction, can result in the creation of complex structures that can result in a variety of beautiful visual effects. Even seemingly opaque glazes can have enough translucency for one layer to subtly affect the next, creating variation and softness in surface color. In oxidation, shorter firing cycles, faster cooling, and an oxidizing atmosphere can result in less layering, simpler structures and less interesting visual qualities.”

Steve goes on to explain his firing process and years of trying new cycles (which I found absolutely wonderful to read, but I'll spare you the nerdy details). What is all boils down to is that by layering cone 6 glazes and exposing them to higher temperatures for a longer period of time the glazes are given more time to intermingle. This results in more blended colors, matted-finishes, and atmospheric results. No more hard lines between layered colors. This is a whole new variable in my ceramics process, and the results make me want to try new firing cycles. How long is too long? What is the optimum exposure to high heat to blend the colors, and not loose their vividness? Do all glazes react the same to the longer heat exposure (this firing seems to have severely darkened my blues and turned my green glazes into more of a dark translucent green)? 

My curiosity is endless. SO MANY QUESTIONS! But, there's plenty of time to seek those answers. For now, I'd say I've rambled on quite long enough about things I only have the most basic of understandings of. Hope you like the new work as much as I do, and hope to see you out in force at Hata Fest. 

See you next time friends. 

Golden

Well folks it's the end of Golden Week here in Japan, and this means the rust is shaking off from 4 days off work. I just put the 38th knotch in my 88 Temple belt. Tuesday and Thursday's post didn't happen, and for that I am most sorry. To make it up to you I want to fill your eye holes with photos!

One of my new glazes from the last firing on some yunomi.  

One of my favorite tea bowls I've produced. My mother managed to spirit it away with her back to the far flung soils of the good old U.S.A. 

Serving plate with a surprise splash of green and red. 

Some new coffee mugs  

It took two full 6 to 7 hour days of cycling to get there, but this is where I spent my 4 day holiday thinking on adventures and pots to come!

And lastly a friendly reminder to all you local fans out there that May 20th I will be at Hata Fest on Irino Beach selling my work along with many other lovely ALT artists and creators of scrumptious sweets. Come hang out at the beach, talk, and buy some pottery! Hata Fest will also be goign on on May 19th as a music only day. So, if you aren't like me and have to go to the Kochi Prefectural Sports Tournament on that Saturday, get yur buns down to the west coast and soak up some sun (fingers crossed on that one) and culture! 

Ochoko

New work Thursday finally returns, and let me tell you it can't be Friday soon enough. This year's course load at Susaki High has me running all over the damn place. I'll take being busy over having nothing to do any day, but after a full two months of being decidedly unbusy, busy feels busier than busy should feel. I'm sure adjustment will happen in no time flat.

Amidst all of this busy I've scrounged up some studio time in little bits to keep the ceramics withdraw symptoms from setting in. Here's what's new:

New forms right off the wheel before texture. 

TEXTURE!

Newly trimmed and textured! I love ochokos 

To those who might be a little confused an ochoko is a small sake cup. These forms flew off the wheel head. I am feeling a little more adventurous with my decorations after my parents visit and the freshly delivered issues of Ceramics Monthly. Hopefully these and some other new things in the works will be fired and ready by May 20th. What's on May 20th?! Why how kind of you to ask. Hata fest part II will be on May 20th. It's a craft, art, music and food festival held out on the west side of Kochi prefecture. More details will follow as to it's exact location and such, but save that date dear readers. 

Self promotion aside, that's all there really is for this week folks. Enjoy the long weekend if you live in Japan. We'll see you on Monday! 

Families 2

Happy Monday! Some shots of older work once more coming your way. Thanks to those who came out the the Ino City free market and festival. It was a great Saturday.  I managed to sell two pieces, a tea bowl and a little blue bowl.  I talked with friends, noticed a lot of older folks looking at my work then walking away quickly, and generally just basking in the sun. Unfortunately that sun has long since run away.

I know you see some of the above pots every day on my blogs banner, but I really love the idea that each set was glazed in unison to reflect it's sister piece. 

Not sure what this week will bring in the studio. I have tests to finish grading, but I hope to get in there and get my hands in some mud. Have a great week, and we'll see you with some new work on Thursday. 

What was . . . (and what comes next?)

If you remember, last week I wrote on my excitement over some new more complex forms I was working on.  This tea pot was the cynosure of that post. I left school on Friday last week with the kiln full and my mind drifting to what glazes this pot would be most suited to. However, the fire gods had other ideas. I offended them you see. A good follower knows that work must be ABSOLUTELY 100% dry before firing, and when you wrong the kiln gods - what once was. . .

Sadly is no more. 

Yes my first kiln explosion claimed the pot I was most excited to see finish. Luckily it didn't take any other work along with it. No use lingering on broken pots though. Lesson learned. 

This week was graduation at my high school and yielded very little studio time. Did manage to get some tests of my four new glazes into a quick little firing of some students work. I am exceptionally excited to see the copper red (second from the left) and the white with blue accents. Unfortunately, I do not know the names of these glazes or their make up. If you are potter, and can enlighten me on the actual names of such effects PLEASE HELP ME LEARN!  I am limited by the great wall that is the Japanese language and its infernal love affair with Kanji. 

I've managed to get the bottoms all prepped for glazing on the majority of the cups and mugs, BUT the real news for this week is that TOMORROW!!!! I will be taking 22 pieces to a small two day craft fair in Ino City. If you are in Japan, more specifically Kochi-ken, please come bye and see my work, say hello, talk, and perhaps take a piece home with you. Monday will have a full report. 

Have a wonderful weekend!