Merry Christmas

And a special greetings from Pearl. 

Noel 2017 exhibition, Le Havre, France

I have sent four pieces of works to Noel 2017 exhibition, at Galerie Corinne Le Monnier, Le Havre, France. I heard two have gone. How lovely! The exhibition is until 16th January. If you are around there, pop in. There are lots of figurative art there. 

This is the second time I have shown my works in the gallery this year. Mme Le Monnier knows her clientele very well and picks those of my works they would like. As you know, the types of work I make is quite diverse. They all are parts of me, and I decided not to narrow down them. So when I place works to galleries, I try to select the best match. When galleriests know the tastes of their clienteles very well, it is the easiest for me and the best for the works. 

Storm. Even though storms could be devastating, but I feel thrilled when I hear the trees shaking and the wind blowing. This is the time when we feel how powerful nature is and how hopeless we really are. So I feel awe, fear and also respect to storms. I think they are marvelous combinations.

Bear. I had kept him for some time as I knew he would need the right audience. He has such a presence. He is someone special  

Spring is not printemps, but la source. She is pure innocece, unsual for my works. She has just appeared. I heard she was spoken for. 

Child with dog. Our old dog Topaz was slowing down. I felt every day with her was a gift. She had been always protective and loyal. She loved and respected me from the day she came to our home. She had glanced at me soo often. Our eyes met so often. It was difficult to see the puppy we got 14 years ago had aged more quickly than we did and now she was spending the last months of her life. Child and dog was also spoken for. 

 Galerie Corinne le Monnier

2 December - 16 January

149 rue Victor Hugo

76600 LE HAVRE

France

Animals of all shapes

Today I would like to share the photos of animals I have made this year so far. Some are on commissions.

I felt honoured to be able to make him for a special girl for her first birthday.




I made two pandas for a lovely panda lady who visits zoos in lots of countries to see, of course pandas!




And here is the better pic for the panda in red.

I have made this monkey for a lovely lady. He is twice as tall as my usual ones. I heard he was a gift for her friend.

Continuing Pocket Friends, here is the dog I made for fun. He found a good home at Ceramic Art London.

Meet Tallulah, the baby tapir. A ceramic artist bought her for his partner at Hatfield. How lovely!

Talking about Hatfield, a nice lady was surprised to see goat Pocket Friends. She said she didn't remember seeing them at Ceramic Art London. Yes, I make them, but they usually go quickly. So here are the sweet duo who went to join one of the largest collections of my animals, Singapore. How nice! 

I have also made rabbits' friends, Lamb and whippet. Both have gone at Ceramic Art London. Here is Lamb.

The ostriches were completed after one year. I don't think they are safe to post, so they would go to shows. 

This is Black fox with golden eyes.

Do let me know if you would like to have a special animal for someone special or yourself. I could make one with the colours you like, and an inscription (a few words, not a poem!). It would be an unique gift. Please contact me on social media, email (on my website) or Etsy convo. 

And here is the one I have just posted for a very nice lady. A special birthday present for her friend. It is her friend's dog. 

 

The report on Studio sale weekend.

We had a good time at my Studio sale weekend. I have heard from artists of various disciplines that studio sale or Open studio is the nicest way to sell works. An artist told me she did gardening whilst waiting for visitors! No travelling, no staying in hotels, and no hassles. And it was! I hope I would be able to do it again next year. Timing is a bit difficult to decide as I have to have enough works in stock, but no rush orders to make. I am usually very busy from autumn up to Christmas. And also up to and a few weeks after shows as I tend to receive commissions. We have also considered the specific traffic situations in Canterbury. When students return to universities, our small city could be gridlock.

Here are some photos of how it went and also links to video.

Mask room

Mask room

Studio

Studio

Now little animals and some smaller sculptures are in my Etsy shop. Several new sculptures are in my website 'Available works'. And lots have gone to galleries.

I called it Studio sale, but mind you, there was no particular discount on works, except for samples and glaze test pieces. All my works are priced same at shows, in galleries or in my studio.

Here are links to the videos.
Mask room
Studio

Studio sale weekend 30/9 & 1/10

Mirror mirror

Next weekend, Saturday, 30th September and Sunday, the first October, I'm going to have my first studio sale.

There will be the latest works as well as test pieces, sample pieces and other things, which you don't see at shows. There will be, of course, little animals from Etsy shop, too.

Heading at south

My studio is in Canterbury, Kent. Our nearest station, Canterbury West station is less than one hour, with a high speed direct train from St Pancras, London (direct trains run hourly). My studio is 12 minutes walk from the Canterbury West station.

If you come by car, there are ample free parking spaces close by.

Owl finch

Canterbury boasts three World Heritage sites, Canterbury Cathedral, St Augstine's Abbey founded in the 6th century and St Martin's chruch, the oldest in England still in use as a parish church.  There are also lots of historical sites, from Wat Tyler's revolt, Archibishop Thomas Becket to Canterbury Tales. So you could combine sightseeing if you are visiting Canterbury for the first time.  

I hope you could pop in.

Pugs will be there. 

The studio:

1 Foxdown Close

Canterbury

Kent

CT2 7RR 

30 September & 1 October

10AM - 5PM

A card payment facility is available.  

 P.S. Hello, the lovely lady who purchased the Alice mask at Hatfield. I am afraid but the newsletter subscription didn't go well. I was unable to send you newsletter. I am sorry! Please contact me if you are still interested in subscrition. Here
 

Yuki-onna and Spring flowers

From late August, I completed one commission, made several masks,  and did one interview in the studio. Also I have been busy with sales. Thank you so much.

Yuki-onna - Sold

Yuki-onna, Snow Woman, is such a special mask. I am so glad that she went to a lovely lady.  A funny thing is that Japanese told me that she looks scary because of her long black hair. Well, we Japanese have mostly black hair, don't we?  British people told me that she is beautiful. Now she lives in a lovely hotel, in England. A happy ending.

Spring flowers -sold

Spring flowers has gone to a lovely lady, Japan. She has red camellia, blue hepatica, a pine tree and hazel catkins. All plants are in the garden, except for the pine, which used to be in the garden. She was one of several Spring flower themed masks. Now only one, Primula, is left.

Large works like these masks are available from my website, www.MidoriTakaki.co.uk You could also see most works I have made in 'Gallery' section. If you find the work you really like, but already sold, please drop me a line. I would be probably able to make a similar one for you.  

There are 20 animals who have found good homes from Etsy shop in the mean time. How lovely! I am adding more daily. Do check the shop once a while.

I am going to make another post, later, but I am going to do an Studio sale weekend on 30 September and 1 October, in Canterbury, Kent. Do pop in if you can. The details are here.

How did we get on with Art in Clay at Hatfield? Marvellously.

It was cold. We didn't expect that cold in August. But we finished the event with a warm glow. We had a great result. It was a roller coaster ride. Friday we did extremely well. Saturday was a bit disappointing. Then Sunday was again good. So by Sunday mid afternoon. Mike and I were very happy. We were glad that all efforts we had put in for the preparation had paid off.

It was a physically tough one to prepare. Any first time at an event requires more thinking, more planning and more efforts to prepare than those you have done before. This was also first time outdoor event for me. Stands are on an uneven field. Mike took literally several months to make the stand display. I also had no idea what would sell. So I took/made four times the stock I usually sell at CAL. (I always take three times of the stock I expect to sell to avoid the stand looking bare on the last day.) We both had virus a few weeks prior to the show. I also tweaked my back; I had not been able to work for 3 weeks in studio. We both felt the pressure.

Being outdoors had worried me a lot. I am not an outdoor person. You won't see me hiking or sleeping in a tent. Imagining me standing in the field (ok, in a marquee) for 4 days really made me apprehensive. Then I heard about the biting insects. Agh, the last things I would like to see! But it was so cold and wet on Friday, we didn't see the well-known biting insects during the show. Instead we saw a toad during take down on the last day!

Bot large and small works usually sell well at CAL, but not at Hatfield. We sold mainly large works, but relatively fewer small animals.

Two Angels have gone to a lovely lady who already owns one of my large pieces and another Angel.

Angels - two Angels from left -sold

Then Alice went to a lovely lady from Surrey.

Alice - sold

Another lady had two masks. Flower girl in Patras and Spring garden. Flower girl was one of the three works inspired by the image of the skull with ceramic wreath in Patras, Greece.

Flower girl in Patras - sold

Spring garden - sold

Here is my stand. The photo was taken just before the show started.

My stand.

On Saturday, quite a few animals and spoons went. The lovely two ladies came. One lady went home with Ancient oaks after a long deliberation. She said she should choose very carefully as she is going to live with the mask all the rest of her life. She is right!

Ancient oaks - sold

Sunday was usually not the best day for sales in our experience, but that Sunday was great!

The spell pod went to a lovely ceramic artist. She held her in her hands, and told me that she chose her as she felt her heart beating faster. How wonderful!

The Spell pod
The youngest fairy god mother - sleeping beauty - sold

The details

    '...but, instead of dying, she shall only fall into a profound sleep, which shall last a hundred years, at the expiration of which a king’s son shall come and awake her.'

Then a gentleman from New York spotted Cherry. She is now in NY waiting for the delivery according to tracking information. How exciting for Cherry to be able to live in such an exciting city! She had known only a quiet part of Canterbury.

Cherry - sold

Then a lovely lady came and chose Dawn chorus.

Dawn Chorus - sold

Thank you so much! We had a great time to meet you, and to have a chat with visitors. We were also lucky to be surrounded by lovely exhibitors. We made good friends. We are keen to return next year, this time with winter clothes, just in case.

P.S. Hello, the lady who bought a Giant Anteater. You pound will go to Sittingbourne Greyhound rescue next time they come to Canterbury. I will add mine, too. Thank you so much!    

Art in Clay at Hatfield

I will be at Art in Clay at Hatfield. 18th - 20th August.

Cherry

Cherry

Here are some of my new works available at the show. 

Child with dog

It is a great opportunity to purchase ceramic art in all forms at the largest ceramic fair in Britain. Hatfield is only 22 minutes by train from London King's cross.

I can't make enough Alice.

Ancient oaks

You can't come? Shame. But don't worry. I will update both my Etsy shop and 'Available works' on my webpage on the 23rd.

And my work is on their poster at King's cross station. How lovely!  Would you like to see it? Here is the link.