Around the world creative blog hop!

Hello Everyone.  I am taking a part in Around the world creative blog hop. Participants will answer 4 questions and will nominate 3 artists' blogs to hop to. Laura Weston, a lovely print maker, invited me to the Hop. Thank you, Laura. Her work is delightful and whimsical.  I love her stylised animals and the clever mix of the colours. They remind me of Japanese wood prints in the Showa period. Laura's Hop blog.

Now it's my turn to answer the four questions.  

What am I working on ?

I am working on a group of Angels right now. They are for Kellie Miller Arts, a nice ceramic gallery, in Brighton and for the Cupola gallery owned by the wonderful Karen Sherwood in Sheffield; they will be a part of the ‘Delicious’ exhibition. A few will be in the Contemporary Art Fair in Windsor in early November as well as in Sidney Cooper Gallery in Canterbury. They are all different and individual. I enjoy finding out who they are as I make them.

Angels (Middle and far right are available from Cecilia Colman Gallery, London)

How does my work differ from others of its genre ?

The strength of my work is originality. ‘I have never seen anything like this’ is the words I have heard most often from viewers. How are they different from others, exactly? It is a difficult question to answer, but I would say my sculptures are the residents of my own imaginative world that no one else can see.  It has everything you would like to have: sky, trees, flowers, animals and children. I can see it, but even I can’t get in. 

Remodelling the lips

Why do I write/create what I do ?

I need to create to free my brain. My head is full of stories and imagination inspired by observation and thoughts. Unless I empty it every day or so, I am not able to sleep. I used to make up and tell stories to Mike. But now I capture the details into ceramic sculptures. Each figure is a story in its own right.

A bit of surgery!

How does my writing/illustration/creative process work ?

I am good at feeling free. Then whatever comes out from clay will have its own free will. I make a face first and see if there is any spirit in it. If there is a spirit, and it tells me about itself, it will develop to a full character in a full body. If nobody is there, I give up. But sometimes a face is already complete without a body, and then it will become a mask. This is a fun part.

The agony starts when glazing starts. It is a tedious slow job, and I feel less creative when I am stirring glaze buckets and scraping the spills! But when it comes out beautifully from the kiln, I feel elated. The transformation can be amazing.

I never sketch. I just make it. I love surprise. That’s the fun part of creation for me.  There are always unexpected things happening, and I let them happen.

Line up!

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I have pleasure to nominate three wonderful artists whom I have known for a while. The first is Alison Deegan in UK. She is a print maker. (Yes, I love prints! I'm Japanese! :D )  I have witnessed how her works have evolved over a few years. It is amazing! Her online shops are full of her beautiful works. Artichokes and Sea urchins are my favourites at this moment. 

Artichokes by Alison Deegan Copyright

The second artist is Yvonne de Jonge, illustrator and designer in the Netherlands. She seems busy with lots of projects all of the time. Her kitteh earrings have been very popular. She has designed lots of things! A little bird told me that she has put her magic hand on porcelain. Her blog is always a fun and upbeat.

Yvonne de Jonge Copyright

The last but not the least, Raeburn from NYC. He is a painter and drawer. I used to be mesmerised by his paintings until I read his blog. He explained how 'pixelated' effect was done. To me who can't paint, it seems shame to alter the already beautiful paintings, but the effect is stunning.

Raeburn Copyright

I hope you have enjoyed hop and don't forget to check their blogs!