Another dream and Udon, my favourite Japanese noodles

Hello everyone. Two nights ago, I had a vivid dream. The studio was all empty. There was no tables, desks, shelves, throwing machines or any clutters, which are always there. Whole floor was washed clean sparkling. There were three or four children, aged 5-7 were sitting on the floor and playing very quietly. The studio technician, Jane, was standing with a mop or some kind of a stick in her hand. When I woke up I felt some kind of strong feeling that I should go to the studio.

Yesterday I did my first outing since I got unwell. We went to a pet shop to get Pearl's food, and popped in to the studio to leave some of my work to be fired. When I opened the door to the studio building, the room in front of the door, metal workroom, was empty and all white. It was painted for the graduation show. When I went to the ceramic studio, three girls were working busily in silence.

Imagine my surprise! I am still wondering if I have become psychic. I have been interested in shamanism, sacrifice and other kinds of rituals. I have studied them for my MA. But I have never had any psychic power or have never dreamt of having one. But in recent years, I had once received a cow's thoughts (it was simple, 'get me out of here'), and then felt being pulled/called by a large entangled beech tree (once).  Or am I becoming more perceptive? When I told this dream to Jane via email, she asked if I had a dream of the all exhibition preparation had been done magically overnight. Nope, I haven't seen that one. Jane, unfortunately you have to use your muscle for that!

I am getting slowly better. My target is to feel better than the day before. I take about an hour rest each afternoon. I am a workaholic; it is difficult for me to rest. I try to take a nap in the bed, but end up reading a book. Still better than flogging myself at the desk!
     
So, our dinners have been light this week. Neither of us wants to make an effort. So tiring! I cooked chicken Udon this evening. It is Japanese noodles made from wheat. Udon in soup is a very good sick food. I served mine in the bowl that Mike threw and I recently reduction-fired. I love it. It looks so authentic. I was so pleased with the appearance of the bowl that I will make a couple of sushi dishes for next reduction firing in June.

Chicken breast, Chinese cabbage, broccoli and carrot Udon with ginger

In my own bowl! : )

 

Netsuke, Jomon pot and Do gu

Hello everyone. We had another spring day. In order to get recover, I didn't go to the studio today. Even a short dog walk made me tired. Mike and I have got some viral infection, and a GP told Mike to rest before he feels exhausted. Besides, final year undergraduates are back today. So the studio would be crowded. It is the time for me to start to create at home. But I have booked a reduction firing later this week, so I will need to prepare for it.

So this is the last part of our experience in the British Museum after seeing the Ice Age art exhibition. We kept seeing the themes and motifs that appeared in Ice Age had continued to modern age. There were Picasso, Brassai and other modern artists' works were displayed along side the Ice Age art in the exhibition. We also finding ancient civilization had same motifs like lion and deer as Ice Age art.

We went to see the Japanese section where Mike had never seen. They have a small collection but its quality is good. When I saw small Ice Age animal objects in the exhibition, I was thinking about netsuke. So I had looked at them in detail. Netsuke were made during Edo period, about 400 - 250 years ago in Japan. They were used to hang a little container with a string on a Japanese sash belt. They are mostly carved in ivory, but also in woods. Japanese, especially women, still hang little objects, often animals figures, on their wallets and purses, recently on their mobiles.

Tiger

 

Deer

Monkey

A part of roof tile

Horses

Lion dog

Kirin, mythical animal

I also wanted to see Jomon period (about 16,500- 3000 years ago) pot and Do gu (where my blog title came from). I love dynamic Jomon pots. I think they were used for special occasions. 

'Flame'

These figures are Do gu. They often have unusual large eyes. Apparently when I saw Mesopotamian eye figures, I immediately thought about them. 

Dogu

We also saw a small exhibition of African textiles. We had no knowledge about them. So it was really interesting.   

 'Textiles are the most obvious visible signifier of culture throughout the African continent.'

In 1995 after we got just married, we used to see African ladies in colourful fabric in a local supermarket. I used to think that they look wonderful in it. Each ;lady has different coloured textiles. But they wear same design from literally head to ankle. But I had never imagined that the fabric had so much meaning. There are political propaganda, wisdom or some witty description about wearers, or anything on them! We both liked this most.

'Mangos are ready'

  Mike said that they are like T-shirts. He is spot on!

This was something like, be careful with prickly outside

When we were ready to leave, we realised that it was raining steadily. I threw an empty water bottle into a rubbish bin at the main door. I saw a broken folding umbrella sticking out of the bin. I looked back the rain again. I told Mike that I was going to take the umbrella. Yes, from the bin! It had one broken arm, but it prevented me getting soaked whilst walking to the bus stop, and also in Canterbury, once we got off the train. I felt it was a god-send! (the museum shop had a folding umbrella with a price tag of £26! That's a rip-off!)

The rescued umbrella

   
 


 

Topaz the dog who ate Mike's lunch and Bizen pottery.

Hello everyone. I had a busy day today. After a busy morning with my work, I took a long lunch break, and went to the studio where I had some finishing to do before Monday. I had been there for a couple of hours. Once at home I had worked until five, then quickly had a dinner, and went to the art theory class. Phew. I 'm just back from it. I know I am lucky because I don't have long commuting time (working from home and about 15 to 20 minutes to the studio). I just wonder how other part time students cope with their busy lives.

Oh, there is one happy dog here. While Mike drove me to the studio at lunch time, Topaz the dog ate Mike's lunch that I prepared for him! A piece of brie, nice ham and artisan sour bread (rye and ordinary). She scoffed them down except for a slice of rye bread. (Ummm, interesting).  Poor Mike only had two choc chip cookies and coffee, instead. Topaz also stole some of Pearl's breakfast. No wonder Topaz didn't touch her dinner today.

'I stole everyone's food today.' 

  
My last pieces from reduction firing to show you here are these whippet and greyhound figures. The first one got a bit of celadon glaze around an eye from a neighbouring pot, so I ground the part, and re-fired it. I used ash glaze here and there.

 This one is more like greyhound-like. He has no glaze, still I think very attractive. I love the colour of reduction fired clay. It is similar to Japanese Bizen ceramics, which I love. Bizen is the old name for an area in Okayama prefecture. Bizen pottery is one of old Japanese pottery. When Mike and I visited the area, we bought a nice vase. My mother also has a Bizen vase. Bizen is often used for Ikebana and tea ceremony. If you visit Japan, I highly recommend to visit Bizen artists. Here is a bit of information about Bizen pottery.

Reduction fired pots

Hello everyone. Today I am sharing a couple of the images of reduction fired pots with you. I only wish I could take photos better. The subtle nuances of the surfaces are lost in my photos. This is the round vase.  I like it a lot because it looks different from different angles. 

Round vase

I added 'ears' to the next vase. As usual, I leave throwing marks. I can't see any point of removing them because they are beautiful as well as they are the signs of how it was made. I mainly put shino glaze on the 'ears' on this vase. The flowers like daffodils or irises would look lovely in this.
 

Vase with 'ears'

Making a sagger

Hello everyone. This evening, I stayed at home and made a sagger with coils.  Saggers are the ceramic containers, in which you fire your pots with some organic materials in the kiln, so that you could make a different atmosphere in the container. This is 28 cm in diameter. I was making a simple cylinder shaped one, but I couldn't help adding some decoration!

My sagger

At the studio, 'Children', that is BA students! : ), are making large coil pots, so that's where the idea came from. When I said that it would be interesting to make an Alibaba pot in this way, Mike suggested that I should make a huge rabbit with coils. That would be monstrous!   

Saggar fired pots in Japanese way

We had another sunny day. After work, I showered our parrots. The wetter they got, the wilder they became. They love shower, unlike our dogs.


I have never shown any of my works fired in saggars before. I had kept them as if they were my secret treasures until this week, but something happened inside me, and I decided to put two works for sale on eBay. I think it was my 'let them go' moment. I felt unless I let my past (works) go, I wouldn't be able to create new things. 

I made a couple of saggars from crank clay, and used them to fire small items in a traditional Japanese way. I made three Sakazuki, which are used to drink sake in formal occasions, whereas Guinomi are used in casual occasions.


1 This is a very attractive piece. Except for a part of the outside all parts are matt. Pale olive green is a natural glaze that comes from leaves. The black parts were from stalks. Stalks got burned on the surface, so I had to grind them afterwards. Japanese sake connoisseurs wouldn't mind these firing marks as most wood fired pottery has marks. The atmosphere of the saggar became partly reduced; it turned grey clay body into a beautiful orange colour. Although it is matt, it is watertight. I wish I could make something similar to this again, but it is up to a chance. It is for sale on eBay.  

Partly reduced

Pale green part is natural ash glaze

2 This pot was fired in fully reduced atmosphere in the saggar. Hence, my pine ash glaze turned to green. It is natural celadon glaze. 

Making pine ash was a real pain. I burnt pine branches, washed the ash so many times, sieved it, and ground it by hand. It took me some months to make it. But when I saw the result, I felt it was worth the effort. I can see steel blue, dark brown, pale brown and green on it. Although it is intended for sake, it could look good to serve a small amount of fine hors-d'œuvre. Listied  also on eBay.

Full reduction

Natural celadon glaze from pine ash

3 This one also has same pine ash glaze, but the sagger remained oxidation atmosphere. As you can see, the atmosphere in the saggars makes such big difference to the pots. Each time when I was about to open a sagger, I became very excited with expectation. When the result was good, I did a little jig. I would love to do sagger firing again. It was such a fun!
 

Pine ash, oxidation

Yesterday, I suddenly remembered I made another successful firing with a saggar. Ta-da! My little Moomin! My childhood favourite TV hero. If you like to see more photos of him, you can see them on Etsy.  

Moomin fired in a saggar

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During a walk, Pearl and I met Holly and John. We had a good time together. Here is Holly, Pearl's new friend.

Holly, Pearl's new friend.